Elizabeth May: Mr. Speaker, earlier today I shared with the Minister of State for Democratic Reform the newsletter of the Saanich Gulf Islands Conservative Party.
I am so proud to represent the people of Saanich—Gulf Islands and I am sure he will be as distressed as I am by that party’s transparent plan for gerrymandering in hopes of winning the riding back. They write, “If you lose South of MacKenzie, lose the Gulf Islands, lose Gordon Head, if you removed all these three areas, we would have won the last election”
Will the minister reassure us that the redistribution will be by population and not by population of Conservative voters?
Hon. Peter Van Loan: Mr. Speaker, the statute is quite clear. It sets out a process for redistribution that is run on a non-partisan basis by independent commissions. Those will be under way in the appropriate time.
Under our legislation, we will ensure that there is a formula in place that ensures people of Saanich—Gulf Islands–or of British Columbia, in fact, and all of Canada–will have the fair representation that has long been denied to them.