Procedure and House Affairs committee  My view would be that it is in the performance report, but I would like to review that, sir, because I did not expect this question.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I believe that the rules should be clearer and more uniform across the country, even more so because we are talking about disabled persons, and only 0.2 per cent of polling stations across the country are currently inaccessible to disabled persons. It is quite remarkable, because this has been the situation only since 1993.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  You're talking about asking everyone to produce a piece of identification at a polling station?

Procedure and House Affairs committee  The returning officer already has the power to ask a person to produce a piece of identity. If the person does not have an ID card, an oath can be taken stating that the person is indeed who he or she says they are, and that he actually lives in the place he claims to live in. That is already allowed.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  That is right, sir. They can ask the deputy returning officer to require it, but the deputy returning officer has to make his or her decision as to whether or not it is appropriate and required to do that.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  That a magazine addressed to that person is acceptable as proof of residence is a fact. All of the documents that are acceptable as proofs either of identity or of address are documents that have been discussed at the advisory committee of political parties, and a listing of them has been approved by them.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  The rationale behind our recommendation is that the 48-hour advance notice to receive a transfer certificate discriminates against persons with disabilities. Anyone else wanting to obtain a transfer certificate, such as election workers or others, can receive one on the spot from the deputy returning officer, who is authorized to recognize someone as an election worker.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  The deputy returning officer is the person in charge of the polling station.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  No, for the 350 voters assigned to vote at one polling station, in one polling division.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Yes, at the table. This is the person who is authorized to issue the certificate. I would like to answer your question about the person who shows up at the inaccessible polling station at 7:50 p.m. In such a situation, the returning officers and clerks take out the ballot box and allow the person to vote then and there, so that he or she does not lose his or her right to vote.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  This is a matter that we perceive as being a requirement under the federal act. In this regard, it is important that I clarify one matter. In 1993, when the act was amended, there was a great deal of concern about protecting people's privacy. In fact, that is still the case today.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  I would have no major objection to that. I think we need to consider a procedure other than an election as a means of periodically checking the list. We must remember that the federal list benefits greatly from the Quebec list. To some extent, the Quebec list is our main source of information.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  Of the major sources of information by which the list is updated regularly, meaning once a month, once every three months or every six months, income tax is number one. We no longer add to the list: there are updates and address changes. There is a problem on the income tax side.

Procedure and House Affairs committee  You're raising an issue that's one of the points for clarification here, which in effect is loosening the grounds whereby mobile polls can be established. Right now, it has to be something that's related to the health of the people who are there, and effectively we're saying a simple residence should be, if I remember correctly from my comments or recommendations....

Procedure and House Affairs committee  It's very hard to answer that question in the sense that you can say, you have a legal contract to fulfill with me. But if they decided not to, what is the Chief Electoral Officer's recourse, except moral suasion? Do you take a school board to court for a matter like this? Do you seek an injunction because they're deciding one week ahead of the polls?