PROC Committee Meeting

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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 63

Thursday, September 13, 2007

The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs met in a televised session at 10:05 a.m. this day, in Room 237-C, Centre Block, the Chair, Gary Goodyear, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Gary Goodyear, Michel Guimond, Tom Lukiwski, Joe Preston, Marcel Proulx, Hon. Karen Redman and Scott Reid.

Acting Members present: Paul Dewar for Yvon Godin, Meili Faille for Pauline Picard, Hon. John Godfrey for Hon. Lucienne Robillard, David J. McGuinty for Hon. Stephen Owen, Bernard Patry for Hon. Lucienne Robillard and Pierre Poilievre for Hon. Jay Hill.

Other Members present: Hon. John Godfrey.

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Michel Bédard, Analyst ; Sebastian Spano, Analyst.

Witnesses: Office of the Chief Electoral Officer: Marc Mayrand, Chief Electoral Officer; Diane R. Davidson, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer and Chief Legal Counsel; Rennie Molnar, Executive Senior Director, Register and Geography. Elections Canada: Mr. Stéphane Perrault, Senior General Counsel and Senior Director, Legal Services Directorate. Canadian Council of Muslim Women: Alia Hogben, Executive Director. Muslim Canadian Congress: Farzana Hassan, President; Sohail Raza, Communications Director. As individuals: Raheel Raza, Journalist and Author; Salim Mansur, Professor of Political Science, University of Western Ontario. Présence musulmane Montréal: Salah Basalamah, Member. Élections Québec: Pierre F. Côté, Former Chief Electoral Officer. Canadian Coalition for Democracies: Naresh Raghubeer, Executive Director; David Harris, Senior Fellow for National Security.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(a), the Committee commenced consideration of matters relating to the decision by Elections Canada to allow veiled individuals to vote.

The witnesses made statements and answered questions.

At 11:07 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 11:16 a.m., the sitting resumed.

The witnesses made statements and answered questions.

Pierre Poilievre moved, — That the Committee call on the Electoral Officer to use his powers of adaptation to require electors to show their faces before being permitted to vote at voting stations across the country.

Debate arose thereon.

Michel Guimond moved, — That the debate on the motion be adjourned until 1:15 p.m.

Debate arose thereon.

After debate, the question was put on the motion and it was agreed to.

At 12:16 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

James M. Latimer
Committee Clerk

2007/09/17 1:33 p.m.