Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2007-06-18 13:45:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Tom Lukiwski (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform, CPC)",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"716642\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, I stand to speak in support of not only Bill <a data-HoCid=\"2413948\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-31/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act\">C-31</a> but the majority of the amendments that we have seen coming back from the Senate.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716643\" data-originallang=\"en\">First, I would say that while Bill <a data-HoCid=\"2413948\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-31/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act\">C-31</a> is important, it is only one in a suite of democratic reform initiatives that the government has brought in. We have seen, for an example, very important democratic reform initiatives such as fixed election dates which is Bill <a data-HoCid=\"2221899\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-16/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act\">C-16</a>. It passed and has come into force. It states that the third Monday of October 2009 will be the date for the next general election unless of course by some strange occurrence the combined opposition determines that it wants to have an election before that date.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716644\" data-originallang=\"en\">That was the first initiative that we brought in to try to ensure Canadians that there would be some consistency and regularity in the timing of federal elections. Far too often we saw political parties in power manipulate the voting system to their advantage. In other words, we saw parties in previous years take a look at the polling numbers and if they determined that it would be to their advantage to have an election earlier rather than later, because the polls happened to be advantageous for them, they would call an election at that time.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716645\" data-originallang=\"en\">Subsequently, we saw both federally and provincially from time to time governments of the day go well beyond a traditional four year voting window because the polls were not quite a favourable for them during that four year cycle. What we are doing with Bill <a data-HoCid=\"2221899\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-16/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act\">C-16</a> is ensuring that all Canadians will have some certainty as to the timing of federal elections and I think that is a good thing for democracy. I think it is a good thing for Canadian voters.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716646\" data-originallang=\"en\">Also, however, we saw several other initiatives with respect to democratic reform. We saw bills come forward dealing with expanded voting opportunities in an attempt to get more and more voters to turn out at the polls. As I said in that debate, we have seen over the course of the last two decades or so a decline in voter turnout year after year, or at least election after election. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716647\" data-originallang=\"en\">I think that is a reflection of many factors, the overall probably being the cynicism that most Canadian voters have with the political process per se. What we are trying to do, by presenting a bill that will give increased and expanded voting opportunities for all Canada, is attempt to raise the level of voter turnout because.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716648\" data-originallang=\"en\"> I think that we all agree, regardless of our political affiliations, that it is incumbent upon all Canadians to express either their opinions come election day or at least exercise their franchise because if we ever got to the point where we had less than 50% of the people in the country who were eligible to vote electing a government of the day, that would be truly a sad day for the democratic process.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716649\" data-originallang=\"en\">We have also seen other examples of our democratic reform initiatives. Just today in committee we dealt with Bill <a data-HoCid=\"2903284\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-54/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (accountability with respect to loans)\">C-54</a> on political loans and how we can ensure that all loans given to candidates over the course of an election are done in such a manner that we can ensure accountability and transparency. I think that is a very important initiative, again, one of a suite of initiatives we brought in.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716650\" data-originallang=\"en\">There will be further democratic reform initiatives as we go forward in the course of the government's life cycle. Today I want to speak specifically to Bill <a data-HoCid=\"2413948\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-31/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act\">C-31</a>, the voter integrity bill. I think there is no greater fraud that could be perpetrated on Canadians than that of an individual voting in a federal or provincial election who pretends to be someone that he or she is not. In other words, I think there could be no greater fraud than someone trying to influence the election results by fraudulent manners. That is what the bill deals with.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716651\" data-originallang=\"en\">In committee, we dealt with many of the things that we felt needed to be corrected to ensure that there was greater accountability, transparency and greater integrity in the voting system. Primarily we talked about things around identification where all voters now, once the bill becomes a law of the land, will be required to show sufficient identification at the polling station to ensure that they are who they purport to be because we have heard on many occasions many examples of individuals fraudulently voting in individual elections.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716652\" data-originallang=\"en\">Anything that we can do, as a House and as individual members of Parliament, to stop that abuse of the voting system is extremely well intentioned and I think will be well received by the voting public. We dealt with that and many other issues of which my hon. colleagues who proceeded me in this debate spoke about.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716653\" data-originallang=\"en\">Primarily, we came up with what we thought was a bill that would accurately reflect the intention of the committee. The committee worked long and hard on the bill and at the end of day when we reported back to this House, we felt that we had a bill which would capture all of the suggestions and recommendations of committee members who dealt with the bill over a period of several months.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716654\" data-originallang=\"en\">However, as is normally the case, and it seems at least these days it is normally the case, when our bill went from our place to the Senate there were additional discussions and additional amendments. While some of the amendments from the Senate are ones that we have some question about, I am pleased to report that the vast majority of the amendments that were made in the Senate will be agreed to, at least by this government. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716655\" data-originallang=\"en\">We are doing so in a manner which we believe we can get the bill passed into law before we rise for the summer because in a minority situation, the length of a minority government is tenuous at best. If we happen to have an election within the next six months or so, we want to ensure that we have a bill that deals with these very important issues, so that we can ensure that voter integrity is at the utmost, that we dispel and dispense with any kind of attempted fraud in the next election that will be held, whenever that may be.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716656\" data-originallang=\"en\">I want to speak for a few moments on the amendments brought back from our colleagues in the Senate. There were about 12 amendments in total but they fit into about five broad categories. The first one deals with what is generally known as bingo cards. Most of us in this House and any politician who has ever run for elected office is familiar with the concept of bingo cards. For those Canadians who may be somewhat confused about what a bingo card has to do with an election, let me explain.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716657\" data-originallang=\"en\">Every political party, certainly every candidate, wants to track their supporters and whether or not they are supporters that they have identified during the preceding number of months leading up to the election and actually come out to the polls and vote. From time to time there are very close election races throughout Canada. When I was first elected in 2004, I was elected by a whopping majority of 122 votes. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716658\" data-originallang=\"en\">One of the elements that really helped my election in that very stressful time was the fact that we had a very good voter identification program within my riding association and within my campaign team. On election day we had a very good \u201cget out the vote\u201d team which tracked people who came into the polling station, find out which of my supporters had not yet made it to the polls, and we brought those people for the most part to come in to vote. Close to 80% of my identified vote actually cast ballots in that election of 2004.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716659\" data-originallang=\"en\">The use of bingo cards is a mechanism by which we can track the voter turnout. As the name suggests and anyone who has every gone to a bingo hall and played a game knows there are cards with numbers from 1 through 400. When scrutineers go into an election or polling station they are able to mark off on the bingo card the number of the voter assigned to them on the electoral list to ensure that everyone in our campaign team, or get out the vote team, understands who has, and more importantly, who has not voted.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716660\" data-originallang=\"en\">From time to time during the day our scrutineers would go in and pick up these bingo cards from the inside scrutineers, take them back to GOTV headquarters, and phone voters who had not yet made it out to the polls in an attempt to make sure that all of our supporters understood the importance of their vote in that election. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716661\" data-originallang=\"en\">What we are saying in this provision, at least what Bill <a data-HoCid=\"2413948\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-31/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act\">C-31</a> purports, is that the bingo card concept be formalized and that Elections Canada be tasked with the responsibility of developing a standardized bingo card that would be available for all political parties and all candidates, so they could use the same get out the vote techniques that most candidates and most political parties have been doing informally over the course of the last number of years.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716662\" data-originallang=\"en\">We see this being an asset to the political process because it helps engage all or potential voters by getting them out to vote. Yes, some of them might need a slight kick in the rear end from some of the GOTV members, but if we can at least increase the voter turnout we will have done a great service for the democratic process. So the amendments that the Senate brought back in with respect to bingo cards are ones that we agree with.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716663\" data-originallang=\"en\"> What are those amendments? Primarily, they say that in the original report coming from this place bingo cards should be available and updated every 30 minutes, so that candidates and political parties would be able to go into polling stations every 30 minutes to pick up the bingo cards and take it back to their GOTV headquarters and start their phone backs.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716664\" data-originallang=\"en\">What the Senate has amended is that during advance polls these bingo cards need only be picked up once a day. That makes perfect sense to me. The time a candidate wants to know is on election day what the voter turnout is like. So that every 30 minutes during an advance poll is almost a bit of overkill. It is certainly not required. Therefore, I think it was a very useful, a very serviceable amendment to suggest that bingo cards during those four or five days that advance polls are open need only be picked up once a day and we agree with that.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716665\" data-originallang=\"en\">That segues nicely into the second major classification of amendments and that deals with coming into force provisions. Primarily, we only have one problem with any of the coming into force provisions as amended by our colleagues in the Senate. That again deals with bingo cards.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716666\" data-originallang=\"en\">What it suggests is that electoral offices be given 10 months to develop these bingo cards themselves and come up with a standardized format that would then be available for use by all parties and all candidates.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716667\" data-originallang=\"en\">We feel that 10 months is too long. We believe that this bingo card format can be structured, developed and printed within a six month period. Therefore, we will be putting our new amendment that we will send back to our colleagues in the Senate, and we hope that they support it, suggesting that the only amendment we wish to make on its amended bill is that the coming into force provision for bingo cards would be six rather than 10 months.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716668\" data-originallang=\"en\">I think that is a very legitimate and reasonable amendment for us to be making. We say that because again in a minority government one never knows how long such a government will last. In other words, if this bill is given royal assent before we rise for the summer, that means if we have an election before December bingo cards would not be available, but if any election is held from 2008 on we will have bingo cards available for all candidates. We think that is reasonable. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716669\" data-originallang=\"en\">Again, the only change to the amendments that the Liberal dominated Senate has made is that we will have a six month window rather than a 10 month window for the bingo cards.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716670\" data-originallang=\"en\">The third provision that is captured by amendments in the Senate deals with casual election workers. Again, as we know in a minority government situation we need a lot of casual workers who work from election to election to election on standby because there can be an election held at any time.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716671\" data-originallang=\"en\">Currently, the Public Service Employment Act contemplates that casual workers and the broad category of casual government workers could only be classified as such if they work 90 days or less in any calendar year.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716672\" data-originallang=\"en\">We felt that was too tight of a time line because if there happened to be two elections in one year, clearly 90 days would not be enough time for a casual worker to do both elections. Thereby, they would fall outside of that 90 day classification.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716673\" data-originallang=\"en\">What the Senate committee had discussed and amended was that the provision now read that 165 days be the length of time that casual workers would be classified still as a casual worker within the Public Service Employment Act. We think that is reasonable and we are certainly willing to agree to that amendment and recommend that the amendment be passed in this House.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716674\" data-originallang=\"en\">The fourth provision is one that I know will take a fair amount of time. I see that the time\u2014</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"716642\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, je prends la parole \u00e0 l'appui non seulement du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"2413948\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-31/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act\">C-31</a>, mais \u00e9galement de la plupart des amendements que le S\u00e9nat nous soumis.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716643\" data-originallang=\"en\">Rappelons tout d'abord que le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"2413948\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-31/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act\">C-31</a>, et cela ne lui enl\u00e8ve pas son importance, s'inscrit dans un ensemble de r\u00e9formes d\u00e9mocratiques propos\u00e9es par le gouvernement. Une de ces tr\u00e8s importantes r\u00e9formes est la tenue d'\u00e9lections \u00e0 date fixe, pr\u00e9vue dans le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"2221899\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-16/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act\">C-16</a> qui a \u00e9t\u00e9 adopt\u00e9 et mis en vigueur. En vertu de ce dernier, les prochaines \u00e9lections g\u00e9n\u00e9rales auront lieu le troisi\u00e8me lundi d\u2019octobre 2009, \u00e0 moins, bien s\u00fbr, que le hasard veuille que l'opposition d\u00e9cide en bloc que des \u00e9lections devraient \u00eatre d\u00e9clench\u00e9es avant cette date.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716644\" data-originallang=\"en\">C'est la premi\u00e8re mesure que nous avons pr\u00e9sent\u00e9e pour essayer de garantir aux Canadiens qu'il y ait de la coh\u00e9rence et de la r\u00e9gularit\u00e9 dans la tenue d'\u00e9lections f\u00e9d\u00e9rales. Il nous a trop souvent \u00e9t\u00e9 donn\u00e9 de voir les partis politiques au pouvoir manipuler le calendrier \u00e9lectoral \u00e0 leur avantage. Autrement dit, il est arriv\u00e9 dans le pass\u00e9 que le parti au pouvoir juge avantageux, compte tenu de sondages d'opinion lui \u00e9tant favorables, de d\u00e9clencher des \u00e9lections h\u00e2tives.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716645\" data-originallang=\"en\">Inversement, des gouvernements \u00e0 l'\u00e9chelon tant provincial que f\u00e9d\u00e9ral ont parfois attendu longtemps apr\u00e8s la fin du cycle \u00e9lectoral traditionnel de quatre ans avant de d\u00e9clencher des \u00e9lections parce que les sondages ne leur \u00e9taient pas particuli\u00e8rement favorables. Ce que fait le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"2221899\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-16/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act\">C-16</a>, c'est garantir que tous les Canadiens aurons une id\u00e9e pr\u00e9cise du moment o\u00f9 les \u00e9lections f\u00e9d\u00e9rales auront lieu. Je pense que c'est une bonne chose pour la d\u00e9mocratie comme pour les \u00e9lecteurs canadiens.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716646\" data-originallang=\"en\">En ce qui concerne la r\u00e9forme d\u00e9mocratique, plusieurs initiatives ont \u00e9t\u00e9 propos\u00e9es, notamment certains projets de loi ayant pour objet d'augmenter les chances de voter, afin de donner \u00e0 un nombre accru d'\u00e9lecteurs l'occasion de se pr\u00e9senter aux bureaux de scrutin. Comme je l'ai dit dans le cadre de ce d\u00e9bat, depuis les 20 derni\u00e8res ann\u00e9es environ, la participation \u00e9lectorale ne cesse de diminuer, d'ann\u00e9e en ann\u00e9e, d'\u00e9lection en \u00e9lection.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716647\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je pense que bien des facteurs peuvent expliquer ce ph\u00e9nom\u00e8ne, en particulier le cynisme croissant de la plupart des Canadiens \u00e0 l'\u00e9gard du processus politique. En pr\u00e9sentant un projet de loi qui permettra de multiplier les occasions de voter \u00e0 la grandeur du Canada, nous tentons de rehausser le niveau de participation \u00e9lectorale.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716648\" data-originallang=\"en\">Les d\u00e9put\u00e9s de tous les partis s'entendent pour dire que les Canadiens ont la responsabilit\u00e9 collective de se prononcer le jour des \u00e9lections et au moins d'exercer leur droit de vote, car le jour o\u00f9 moins de la moiti\u00e9 des \u00e9lecteurs inscrits sur la liste \u00e9lectorale voteront pour \u00e9lire le gouvernement, ce sera vraiment un jour sombre pour le processus d\u00e9mocratique.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716649\" data-originallang=\"en\">Il y a de nombreux autres exemples d'initiatives dans le cadre de la r\u00e9forme d\u00e9mocratique. Aujourd'hui m\u00eame, le comit\u00e9 a examin\u00e9 le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"2903284\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-54/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (accountability with respect to loans)\">C-54</a> sur les pr\u00eats politiques et sur la fa\u00e7on dont nous pouvons faire en sorte que tous les pr\u00eats accord\u00e9s \u00e0 des candidats pendant une campagne \u00e9lectorale soient conformes aux principes de la responsabilit\u00e9 et de la transparence. Parmi toutes celles que nous avons propos\u00e9es, cette initiative particuli\u00e8rement importante.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716650\" data-originallang=\"en\">Tant que le gouvernement restera au pouvoir, il continuera de pr\u00e9senter de nouvelles initiatives en mati\u00e8re de r\u00e9forme d\u00e9mocratique. Aujourd'hui, je vais parler en particulier du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"2413948\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-31/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act\">C-31</a>, sur l'int\u00e9grit\u00e9 du processus \u00e9lectoral. Je pense qu'il n'y a pas de plus grande tromperie \u00e0 l'\u00e9gard des Canadiens que lorsqu'une personne, dans le cadre d'une \u00e9lection f\u00e9d\u00e9rale ou provinciale, pr\u00e9tend \u00eatre quelqu'un d'autre au bureau de scrutin. Autrement dit, la pire tromperie, c'est d'essayer d'influencer l'issue du processus \u00e9lectoral de fa\u00e7on frauduleuse.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716651\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Au comit\u00e9, nous avons examin\u00e9 les nombreux aspects qui, d\u2019apr\u00e8s nous, devaient \u00eatre corrig\u00e9s pour assurer davantage de responsabilit\u00e9, de transparence et d\u2019int\u00e9grit\u00e9 dans le syst\u00e8me \u00e9lectoral. Nous avons surtout parl\u00e9 des questions li\u00e9es \u00e0 l\u2019identit\u00e9 puisqu\u2019une fois que le projet de loi aura \u00e9t\u00e9 adopt\u00e9, tous les \u00e9lecteurs seront tenus de prouver leur identit\u00e9 d\u2019une fa\u00e7on satisfaisante aux bureaux de scrutin. En effet, nous avons souvent entendu parler de personnes qui ont vot\u00e9 frauduleusement au cours d\u2019\u00e9lections.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716652\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Tout ce que nous pouvons faire collectivement, tout ce que chaque d\u00e9put\u00e9 peut faire \u00e0 titre individuel pour emp\u00eacher cet abus du syst\u00e8me \u00e9lectoral s\u2019inspire de tr\u00e8s bonnes intentions et sera, je pense, bien accueilli par les \u00e9lecteurs. Nous avons discut\u00e9 de cette question et de beaucoup d\u2019autres, comme l\u2019ont mentionn\u00e9 les coll\u00e8gues qui m\u2019ont pr\u00e9c\u00e9d\u00e9 dans ce d\u00e9bat.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716653\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Nous en sommes arriv\u00e9s ainsi \u00e0 un projet de loi qui refl\u00e9tait bien l\u2019intention du comit\u00e9. Celui-ci avait travaill\u00e9 longtemps et fort. Aussi, lorsque nous avons fait rapport du projet de loi \u00e0 la Chambre, nous avions l\u2019impression d\u2019avoir tenu compte de l\u2019ensemble des suggestions et recommandations formul\u00e9es par les membres du comit\u00e9 pendant une p\u00e9riode de plusieurs mois.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716654\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Toutefois, comme c\u2019est ordinairement le cas, du moins ces temps-ci, lorsque notre projet de loi a \u00e9t\u00e9 examin\u00e9 par le S\u00e9nat, il a fait l\u2019objet d\u2019autres discussions et d\u2019amendements suppl\u00e9mentaires. M\u00eame si nous avons des doutes concernant certains de ces amendements, je suis heureux de dire que nous accepterons, ou que le gouvernement acceptera la grande majorit\u00e9 des amendements du S\u00e9nat.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716655\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Nous le faisons parce que nous croyons qu\u2019il sera possible ainsi d\u2019adopter le projet de loi avant l\u2019interruption de l\u2019\u00e9t\u00e9, car la situation d\u2019un gouvernement minoritaire est toujours assez pr\u00e9caire. S\u2019il y avait des \u00e9lections dans les six prochains mois, nous voulons \u00eatre s\u00fbrs d\u2019avoir une loi qui r\u00e8gle ces questions d\u2019une grande importance, assure l\u2019int\u00e9grit\u00e9 du vote et emp\u00eache toute tentative de fraude aux prochaines \u00e9lections, quel qu\u2019en soit le moment.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716656\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Je voudrais consacrer quelques instants aux amendements apport\u00e9s par nos coll\u00e8gues du S\u00e9nat. Il y en a, au total, une douzaine, mais ils s\u2019inscrivent dans cinq grandes cat\u00e9gories. La premi\u00e8re traite de ce qu\u2019on appelle couramment les cartes de bingo. La plupart des d\u00e9put\u00e9s et, en fait, tous ceux qui se sont pr\u00e9sent\u00e9s \u00e0 un poste \u00e9lectif connaissent sans doute le principe des cartes de bingo. Je vais cependant donner quelques explications pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas cette notion.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716657\" data-originallang=\"en\">Tous les partis politiques, en tout cas tous les candidats, veulent retracer leurs partisans et savoir si ces gens sont bien ceux qu'ils ont identifi\u00e9 pendant les mois qui ont pr\u00e9c\u00e9d\u00e9 les \u00e9lections et s'ils sont all\u00e9s voter. Il arrive que des r\u00e9sultats soient tr\u00e8s serr\u00e9s au Canada. Lorsque j'ai \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9lu pour la premi\u00e8re fois, en 2004, j'ai obtenu une impressionnante majorit\u00e9 de 122 voix.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716658\" data-originallang=\"en\">Un des facteurs qui m'ont aid\u00e9 \u00e0 me faire \u00e9lire \u00e0 une \u00e9poque tr\u00e8s stressante, est le fait que mon association de circonscription et mon \u00e9quipe de campagne avaient un excellent programme d'identification des \u00e9lecteurs. Le jour de l'\u00e9lection, nous avions une tr\u00e8s bonne \u00e9quipe pour \u00ab faire sortir le vote \u00bb et elle a retrac\u00e9 les gens qui sont all\u00e9s voter et a identifi\u00e9 mes partisans qui n'y \u00e9taient pas all\u00e9s, ce qui a permis d'amener la plupart de ces derniers au bureau de scrutin. Pr\u00e8s de 80 p. 100 de mes partisans identifi\u00e9s sont all\u00e9s voter lors des \u00e9lections de 2004.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716659\" data-originallang=\"en\">L'utilisation des cartes de bingo est un m\u00e9canisme qui nous permet de suivre la participation des \u00e9lecteurs. Comme leur nom l'indique, ceux qui sont d\u00e9j\u00e0 all\u00e9s dans une salle de bingo savent que ce sont des cartes portant des num\u00e9ros de 1 \u00e0 400. Les agents \u00e9lectoraux qui travaillent aux bureaux de scrutin peuvent indiquer sur ces cartes les noms des \u00e9lecteurs inscrits et qu'ils sont charg\u00e9s de suivre pour savoir ceux qui ont vot\u00e9 et, plus important, ceux qui n'ont pas vot\u00e9, \u00e0 l'intention de notre \u00e9quipe de campagne ou de notre \u00e9quipe charg\u00e9e de faire sortir le vote.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716660\" data-originallang=\"en\">De temps \u00e0 autre pendant la journ\u00e9e, nos agents vont chercher ces listes aux bureaux de scrutin et les am\u00e8nent \u00e0 ceux qui sont responsables de faire sortir le vote afin qu'ils t\u00e9l\u00e9phonent aux \u00e9lecteurs qui n'ont pas encore vot\u00e9 pour tenter de leur faire comprendre l'importance de leur vote.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716661\" data-originallang=\"en\">Une disposition du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"2413948\" href=\"/bills/39-1/C-31/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and the Public Service Employment Act\">C-31</a> vise \u00e0 faire en sorte que le concept des cartes de bingo soit formalis\u00e9 et qu'\u00c9lections Canada \u00e9labore une carte normalis\u00e9e \u00e0 l'intention de tous les partis politiques et de tous les candidats afin qu'ils utilisent le m\u00eame moyen pour faire sortir le vote, ce que la plupart font d\u00e9j\u00e0 de fa\u00e7on informelle depuis quelques ann\u00e9es.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716662\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous consid\u00e9rons que cela constitue un atout pour le processus politique, car cela contribue \u00e0 encourager la participation de tous les \u00e9lecteurs ou des \u00e9lecteurs potentiels. Oui, certains auront peut-\u00eatre besoin de l\u00e9g\u00e8res pouss\u00e9es dans le dos de la part de quelques-uns des membres de l'\u00e9quipe charg\u00e9e de faire sortir le vote, mais, si nous pouvons \u00e0 tout le moins accro\u00eetre la participation des \u00e9lecteurs, nous aurons contribu\u00e9 \u00e9norm\u00e9ment \u00e0 soutenir le processus d\u00e9mocratique. Ainsi, nous appuyons les amendements que le S\u00e9nat a renvoy\u00e9s au sujet des cartes de bingo. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716663\" data-originallang=\"en\">En quoi consistent ces amendements? D'abord, dans le rapport original provenant de la Chambre, on dit que des cartes de bingo devraient \u00eatre disponibles et mises \u00e0 jour toutes les 30 minutes, afin que les candidats et les partis politiques puissent se rendre aux bureaux de vote toutes les 30 minutes pour ramasser les cartes et les rapporter au quartier g\u00e9n\u00e9ral de l'\u00e9quipe charg\u00e9e de faire sortir le vote et recommencer \u00e0 faire des appels t\u00e9l\u00e9phoniques. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716664\" data-originallang=\"en\">Selon les amendements que propose le S\u00e9nat, pendant le vote par anticipation, il ne serait n\u00e9cessaire de ramasser ces cartes de bingo qu'une fois par jour. Cela me semble tout \u00e0 fait logique. Ce n'est que le jour des \u00e9lections qu'un candidat d\u00e9sire savoir combien d'\u00e9lecteurs ont particip\u00e9 au vote. Donc, il est presque exag\u00e9r\u00e9 de ramasser les cartes toutes les 30 minutes pendant un vote par anticipation. Ce n'est certes pas indispensable. Par cons\u00e9quent, je crois que l'amendement voulant que les candidats ne ramassent les cartes de bingo qu'une fois par jour pendant les quatre ou cinq jours de vote par anticipation est tr\u00e8s utile et tr\u00e8s facile \u00e0 appliquer, et nous sommes d'accord l\u00e0-dessus. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716665\" data-originallang=\"en\">Cet amendement s'encha\u00eene tr\u00e8s bien avec le deuxi\u00e8me principal groupe d'amendements et il porte sur les dispositions d'entr\u00e9e en vigueur. D'abord, nous n'avons qu'un seul probl\u00e8me au sujet des dispositions d'entr\u00e9e en vigueur que nos coll\u00e8gues du S\u00e9nat ont amend\u00e9es. Il porte encore une fois sur les cartes de bingo. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716666\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Ce que le S\u00e9nat sugg\u00e8re, c\u2019est qu\u2019on donne aux bureaux \u00e9lectoraux 10 mois pour concevoir eux-m\u00eames ces cartes de bingo et d\u00e9cider d\u2019un format uniforme que pourront ensuite utiliser tous les partis et tous les candidats. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716667\" data-originallang=\"en\"> \u00c0 notre avis, dix mois, c\u2019est trop long. Nous croyons que cette carte de bingo peut \u00eatre con\u00e7ue et imprim\u00e9e en dedans de six mois. En cons\u00e9quence, nous allons d\u00e9poser notre nouvel amendement et en saisir nos coll\u00e8gues du S\u00e9nat \u2013 en esp\u00e9rant qu\u2019ils vont l\u2019appuyer \u2013 en leur faisant valoir que le seul amendement que nous d\u00e9sirons apporter \u00e0 ce projet de loi d\u00e9j\u00e0 amend\u00e9 par lui portera que le d\u00e9lai pr\u00e9vu pour l\u2019entr\u00e9e en vigueur de cette disposition touchant les cartes de bingo sera de six mois plut\u00f4t que de dix. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716668\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Je crois que l\u2019amendement que nous proposons est tr\u00e8s l\u00e9gitime et tr\u00e8s raisonnable. Si nous disons cela, c\u2019est que, gardons-le \u00e0 l\u2019esprit, quand un gouvernement est minoritaire, on ne sait jamais combien de temps il se maintiendra. Autrement dit, si ce projet de loi re\u00e7oit la sanction royale avant l\u2019interruption de nos travaux pour l\u2019\u00e9t\u00e9, cela voudra dire que, si des \u00e9lections \u00e9taient d\u00e9clench\u00e9es avant d\u00e9cembre, les cartes de bingo ne seraient alors pas disponibles, mais que, si des \u00e9lections \u00e9taient d\u00e9clench\u00e9es apr\u00e8s le d\u00e9but de 2008, tous les candidats pourraient avoir leurs cartes de bingo. Nous pensons que c\u2019est raisonnable. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716669\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Je le r\u00e9p\u00e8te, le seul changement aux amendements que le S\u00e9nat domin\u00e9 par les lib\u00e9raux a propos\u00e9s, c\u2019est que nous aurons nos cartes de bingo dans un d\u00e9lai de six mois plut\u00f4t que de dix. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716670\" data-originallang=\"en\"> La troisi\u00e8me disposition que visent les amendements du S\u00e9nat a trait aux travailleurs occasionnels d\u2019\u00e9lection. L\u00e0 encore, dans une situation de gouvernement minoritaire, comme nous le savons, il nous faut, d\u2019\u00e9lections \u00e0 \u00e9lections, garder en r\u00e9serve \u00e9norm\u00e9ment de travailleurs occasionnels d\u2019\u00e9lection parce que des \u00e9lections peuvent \u00eatre d\u00e9clench\u00e9es n\u2019importe quand. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716671\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Actuellement, on envisage de modifier la Loi sur l\u2019emploi dans la fonction publique pour qu\u2019elle pr\u00e9voie qu\u2019on ne peut classer comme occasionnel un travailleur d\u2019\u00e9lection, comme tout autre employ\u00e9 du gouvernement, que s\u2019il a travaill\u00e9 au plus 90 jours dans une ann\u00e9e civile. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716672\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Nous avons estim\u00e9 que ce maximum \u00e9tait trop serr\u00e9, car, s\u2019il se trouvait que nous ayons deux \u00e9lections dans une ann\u00e9e, il est \u00e9vident qu\u2019un maximum de 90 jours ne serait pas suffisant pour permettre \u00e0 un travailleur occasionnel d\u2019\u00eatre disponible pour les deux \u00e9lections. S\u2019il le faisait, il d\u00e9foncerait le plafond de 90 jours. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716673\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Ce que le comit\u00e9 s\u00e9natorial, apr\u00e8s en avoir discut\u00e9, a propos\u00e9 comme amendement, c\u2019est que l\u2019on pr\u00e9voie, dans cette disposition, que le nombre maximal de jours qu\u2019un employ\u00e9 du gouvernement pourra travailler dans une ann\u00e9e civile pour \u00eatre encore consid\u00e9r\u00e9 comme travailleur occasionnel au sens de la Loi sur l\u2019emploi dans la fonction publique soit de 165. Nous pensons que ce serait raisonnable. C\u2019est pourquoi nous allons certainement appuyer cet amendement et recommander qu\u2019il soit adopt\u00e9 par la Chambre des communes. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"716674\" data-originallang=\"en\"> La quatri\u00e8me disposition en est une dont je sais qu\u2019elle demandera pas mal de temps. Je constate que le temps\u2026 </p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2007/6/18/tom-lukiwski-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/tom-lukiwski/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/1534/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "2158962",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Canada Elections Act",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2007/6/18/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2007%2F6%2F18%2F"
    }
}