Procedure and House Affairs committee  In a sense, and the people who are actually running the polls are from those communities as well, and they know the people who come up. I think somehow we've lost track of that. There is that element that still persists. It's much more difficult in urban Canada, and I think we have to recognize that.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  My preliminary assessment would be those two pieces of ID would not satisfy the present requirement as proposed in the bill. Certainly the idea of accepting those two pieces of ID would fit with what I proposed as an alternative. We have listed student ID cards on our list and given the attributes of them.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I definitely do not know that there is any kind of fraud of that kind going on. What we were alluding to in our comments was based on our extrapolation of statistics--it's not based on experience--that 3.3 million electors do not have drivers' licences, and of the other 1.2 million, 10% have postal addresses instead of residential addresses on their drivers' licences.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Certainly, on the surface of it, it would not create an undue problem for me as Chief Electoral Officer. I'm just trying to think of why would they bring a photocopy of what they already have. That is another question.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  That could well be. As I've indicated, on the surface of it, without having examined it, it would not seem to be problematic to me, but perhaps it requires a little more study.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Then, assuming we would want to look at that, it would be part of what we would be proposing to this committee as acceptable or not acceptable by leaving it out. But we'll look at that in more detail, sir.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Mr. Chairman, I don't quite get the second part of the question, because I don't see the relationship between the one-in-five electors who would have to produce two pieces of documentation and perceived instances of fraud under the present system. That has me confused, quite frankly.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Okay. Please do, sir.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I would like to thank the Committee for inviting me here today to discuss Bill C-31, An Act to Amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act. I am accompanied by Rennie Molnar, Senior Director, Operations, Register and Geography, and Michèle René de Cotret, Director, Legislative Policy and Analysis.

Foreign Affairs committee  The answer to the latter question is yes, the same equipment is being used. The Conseils Électoral Provisoire continue to exist between the rounds, even though there was difficulty in arriving at December 3 as an election date. There was a long hiatus there. Mr. Bernard spoke to us about this.

Foreign Affairs committee  Well, sometimes it will be the United Nations that will get in touch with me, sometimes it will be the OAS. They know of our capacity. But in this particular case, the scenario that was being considered at one time was to mount an effort in Guyana similar to what we did in Haiti, but that fell apart.

Foreign Affairs committee  I feel I've been saved by the bell, by the way.

Foreign Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, as regards a compendium of the thoughts of Elections Canada, or of the Chief Electoral Officer, regarding the international scene, I'll check to see whether we have anything on that subject. I have had occasion to make speeches on the international scene, and I would be pleased to provide you with such a document as soon as possible.

Foreign Affairs committee  I thought others might have alluded to it in their appearances. It's a group of NGOs and arm's-length organizations that has been set up within the Government of Canada under the aegis of CIDA and Foreign Affairs. It's co-presided, co-chaired, by the two deputies. Effectively it has become a forum for exchanges among the participants about where we are and what we're attempting to do.

Foreign Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, that question precisely concerns an important part of the evidence that Mr. Bernard gave when he appeared before this committee during his last visit to Canada. In fact, the provisional electoral council will become a permanent electoral council once the municipal and local elections are over, because it is those bodies that will have to elect the members of the permanent electoral council.