PROC Committee Report

In 1964, Parliament passed the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act (EBRA) in order to ensure a regular readjustment of electoral boundaries within a framework providing the strongest guarantees of independence from political interference.  To achieve this important objective, the Act provides for the revision of electoral boundaries for each of the provinces by ten non-partisan commissions that are independent from the government.  Since its inception, the EBRA process has had a very positive impact on ensuring effective representation for Canadians.

While the EBRA process has continued to be successful in meeting many of its fundamental objectives, the Act has not been updated significantly since its original adoption.  There has been a growing recognition among parliamentarians and other key players that improvements may be warranted and a number of suggested changes to the Act have been proposed, in particular over the past decade.  In this regard, recommendations for change have come forward from individual Members of Parliament, boundary commissioners, interest groups, and several parliamentary committees, including the recommendations contained in the thirty-first report of the Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.  The Chief Electoral Officer also made a number of recommended changes in his May 2005 report entitled “Enhancing the Values of Redistribution”.  The EBRA process was also examined in detail by the Royal Commission on Electoral Reform and Party Financing, and an unsuccessful attempt to amend the Act was made in 1995 through Bill C-69.

The Government agrees with the thirty-first report of the Committee on Procedure and House Affairs that there is a need for improvement to the redistribution process and would want the EBRA updated in time for the next boundary redistribution.  For example, there are a number of themes in the Report which merit careful consideration.  These include the recommendations for standardization of materials and reports for boundary commissions, increased opportunities for public participation, greater transparency and accountability, and a more streamlined process.

In assessing possible legislative initiatives, the Government will want of course to ensure that any proposed changes to the process do not interfere with the EBRA’s fundamental principles, including the independent nature of the process, and the principle of effective representation as reflected in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

In recognition of the complex nature of the redistribution process and the often competing visions for reform that have come forward, the Government will need to consult with the key actors, including Members of Parliament and former boundary commissioners, and to take into consideration the recommendations made by the Chief Electoral Officer.

In deciding where it would be appropriate to amend the EBRA, there are several important issues that would need to be studied in further detail before offering proposals for reform.  For example, the thirty-first report recommends that the Act should be amended to include a clear definition of Acommunity of interest@, but does not provide any specifics.  This is a sensitive issue that is at the heart of the electoral boundaries readjustment process and that attracts widely varying views. Consultation would be required to develop consensus on whether this important concept should be defined and, if so, the elements of the definition.  Another approach would be to provide boundary commissions with a specific set of criteria to consider when applying the concept of “community of interest”, as recommended by the Chief Electoral Officer.

The Government would like to thank the Committee for bringing attention to this important issue and is committed to ensuring that the Act is updated in time for the next boundary redistribution, which will take place in 2012.