Thank you for that question.
Before answering, I want to say that I agree with what Mr. Généreux just said. We really have to look at the representation of rural regions in the next stage, in ten years.
Mr. Fergus, to answer your question, the proposal I have made suggests that the RCM of La Matanie be transferred into the neighbouring riding. La Matanie has fewer than 14,000 inhabitants.
Given the present population, the electoral quotient of my riding, which has 75,927 inhabitants, is 35.5 per cent. I am aware that this falls below the 25 per cent threshold allowed in order to argue the provision in subsection 15(2) of the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act for departing from the rule. If we add the RCM of Avignon, which has 12,740 inhabitants, the difference falls to 20.6 per cent. That would then allow us to argue for the provision allowing for departure from the rule to be applied.
In other words, as the Commission said, no riding should have fewer than 81,749 persons; under what I am proposing, our riding would have 88,667 inhabitants. I will be happy to provide the calculations.
After consulting the people in my riding, I think this proposal is eminently reasonable.