This clause of the bill reflects a recommendation that I made at the request of groups of people with disabilities. They find it insulting and humiliating to need to declare that an employee who helps them each day and who accompanies them into the voting compartment is a friend, because that person isn't a family member. Under the current Canada Elections Act, they must say that the person is their friend, which isn't the case.
They want the oath to be taken. It's important to them. We talked about it. However, they don't want to need to say that the person accompanying them is a friend. That's the main thrust of clause 38 of the bill. Subclause 38(2) would also allow an individual to help more than one person vote.
Basically, these provisions reflect the comments heard from groups of people with disabilities.