Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the procedure and House affairs committee.
It's my pleasure to be with you today as you kick off your review of the report of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for B.C.
In my comments, I will provide my rationale for the objection, which I filed with your clerk on March 10, 2023, to the commission's proposed boundary change that impacts the ridings of Nanaimo—Ladysmith and Courtenay—Alberni.
The commission's report proposes what some might think is a small change to the boundary between the two ridings, moving the municipal district of Lantzville from the southern riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith into the northern riding of Courtenay—Alberni. However, according to the mayor of Lantzville, Mark Swain, the proposal represents a significant and unwanted change for his residents.
The mayor wrote a letter to the commission to outline his concerns with the proposed boundary changes, wherein he provided compelling rationale for his position that this committee should consider.
He wrote:
Lantzville relies on partnering with the City of Nanaimo for infrastructure, safety, policing, recreation, services, sewer, and water. Additionally, Lantzville residents participate in many cultural activities, major holidays, and festivities in Nanaimo and are closely connected. Lastly, we are very concerned polling stations will be moved further away from the District of Lantzville creating a potentially inequitable situation for Lantzville voters.
The mayor went on to suggest that the commission could consider changes to the southern border of Nanaimo—Ladysmith to accommodate the inclusion of his population, which isn't that large, in the existing riding. Specifically, he suggested that the commission could look at moving a community like Saltair and surrounding areas into the riding of Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, as their community of interest aligns well with the city of Duncan, which, if you know the island at all, is heading south and is firmly in that riding.
The mayor sent a copy of his letter to a representative from each party in British Columbia in hopes of securing non-partisan support for his position during this committee review. The letter was sent to the Liberal minister from Delta, the NDP member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith, the Green Party leader from Saanich—Gulf Islands and me.
I was born in Ladysmith and raised in Nanaimo. I owned property in Nanaimo until about two years ago. I maintain close family and community ties throughout Vancouver Island, but specifically in the area we're talking about. I was therefore honoured to receive the letter from Mayor Swain and am proud to act on behalf of his citizens.
I recognize that the other members copied on the letter are not here to join me in filing an objection, yet it is my hope that their parties will support the mayor's common-sense, non-partisan request.
Mr. Chair, on a personal note, I'd like to thank you and the members of the committee for the important work you're doing to strengthen Canada's democracy, from redistribution to your ongoing investigations. It is my hope that your work will lead to the necessary changes that will restore public trust in our electoral process and strengthen our democratic institutions.
With that, I'm hopefully quite prepared to answer any questions you may have.