Procedure and House Affairs Committee on May 5th, 2022

[Susan Torosian]

I'll complement that. If you look at voter participation, you see that it's a very complex issue. There's no one particular thing that will make a difference in whether somebody votes. It's a combination of factors. I'd say it's a team sport.

Elections Canada has a very minor role. Our focus has been on improving access to the vote, meaning informational barriers and those kinds of things. When it comes to young Canadians, the biggest barrier that they face is actually, quite frankly—and I think you heard through your indigenous study on the language on ballots—lack of interest, which is probably one of the biggest, and that comes in a couple of different ways. A lot of young Canadians feel that they cannot make a difference when they vote. We also know through our research that many young Canadians are not contacted by a candidate. It's less than most Canadians. That is from our research. This information is all available on our website.

They also don't view voting as a duty. They actually view it as a choice.

Those are some of the main factors. Those ones that I'm talking about are more in what I'd call the motivational side of things versus the access side of things. Mr. Perrault spoke to the access piece.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Thank you, Ms. Torosian.

Through you, Madam Chair, to our witnesses, one of the other barriers we've been hearing a lot about is a geographical one. At 18, young people's lives are at a time of transition, and very many of them, particularly in rural Canada, such as the riding I represent, go away from their home region to another community to pursue school or enter the workforce. Is that seen as a barrier for voting for the first time among 18-year-olds?

[Stéphane Perrault]

Madam Chair, that is why we first piloted the campus kiosk initiative in 2015, and we expanded it in 2019 across the country. This is a program that I intend to bring back as soon as we can. We've never done it in a minority context, and with the pandemic that presented unique challenges. However, we are now looking at ways to do that without the benefit of a fixed-date election.

Of course, young Canadians are also often unaware that they can vote through other means—for example, at the local returning office at the university campus where they attend school, even if their vote is cast for their home riding. We also need to look at how we can better inform young Canadians of those options.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Am I out of time, Madam Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bardish Chagger]

You are out of time.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I had more questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bardish Chagger]

I have no doubt. You're going to get another opportunity very soon, I'm sure.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

I look forward to it. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bardish Chagger]

Thank you for that.

We're going to now head into our next round.

We will go again with five minutes for Mr. Kmiec, followed by five minutes for Mrs. Romanado, and then two and a half minutes for Madam Gaudreau, followed by Mr. Bachrach. Then we'll go back to Mr. Kmiec for five minutes, followed by Mr. Turnbull.

Go ahead, Mr. Kmiec.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Chair, thank you.

I have one last question on the Inspire Democracy network.

Has a review or an analysis ever been done by Elections Canada on this network and the 27 community organizations and stakeholders that are part of it on whether it has been effective in increasing turnout or participation?

[Susan Torosian]

We actually are in the process of doing a review of that program. It's only been in effect since 2014. That's expected in probably two years' time. It's not going to be complete—

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Two years would be in May 2024?

[Susan Torosian]

Yes, roughly.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Is the cost for that analysis in the estimates, or is it just part of the work you're doing? Are there any additional resources to do this analysis, or is it already taken into account?

[Stéphane Perrault]

No, it's part of the ongoing cost of operating. We do evaluations of our programs on a periodic basis, and it is part of our ongoing funding.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

I now have a question, Madam Chair, on a different administrative review that's being done on those 200,000 ballots and the breakdown of it because of Order Paper question 328. I was wondering what the cost of that review was.

[Stéphane Perrault]

This is part of our ongoing activities. It's very difficult to separate that out, because we look at the data from all kinds of angles and for different purposes at the end of an election. I do not have a costing for that review specifically.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Okay. Subsection 267(4) of the act requires that it be provided in the response tabled by the government. It said April 2022, but it's May.

Is that report public now? Is the response public? I haven't seen it. I'm asking since you're here.

[Stéphane Perrault]

Sorry; do you mean the response on the—

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

I've received the OPQ response, Chair, but that Order Paper question talked about a response about having completed the review of the ballots, what happened to them and the breakdown. It said April 2022. It is now May. I'm looking for a response.

[Stéphane Perrault]

We do have a report. It will be in the month of May, though. It's not out yet.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

I've noticed it's not out yet. Thank you. I think, Chair, that we've all noticed it's not out yet.

Is it later in May? Is it a question of it being translated into French or into English?

[Stéphane Perrault]

I have not yet seen the draft. This is coming to me first, and then it will be translated and prepared. It's on its way.

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Okay.

Madam Chair, how much time do I have?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bardish Chagger]

You have two minutes.