Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Mr. Bromley.

New Special Voting Opportunities

In the 2011 election, residents of 11 communities had only one opportunity to vote: on polling day itself. Residents of these communities are to be commended for the generally strong voter turnouts. However, all residents of the Northwest Territories should have comparable voting opportunity.

The committee requested that the CEO develop detailed recommendations for a new special voting opportunity to replace the provisions for advance polls in communities without a resident returning officer and populations of less than 500. The committee is convinced that provisions for all polls in these small communities can be replaced by a new voting opportunity that will allow electors in all communities, regardless of size, to vote before polling day if need be.

Recommendation 7

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that Sections 152 to 162 of the act be repealed as well as all other references to an advance poll, and that the CEO provide the Assembly with detailed recommendations to establish a new special voting opportunity for communities without a resident returning officer, similar to voting in the office of the returning officer.

Campaign Finance Provisions

The CEO’s additional research on campaign financing in other jurisdictions was very informative despite the role of political parties in many instances. For example, partial reimbursement of candidates’ campaign expenses is done in all Canadian jurisdictions except Alberta, British Columbia and the three territories. Adopting such a system of public financing was proposed by Yellowknife resident David Wasylciw, who made both oral and written presentations to the committee. He pointed out that the cost to taxpayers would be quite modest.

While subsidizing the cost of running a campaign might lower a barrier for some candidates, reimbursing candidates’ expenses is not a simple matter in our system. Running as independents, candidates for our Legislature typically raise funds in their constituencies and must account for those funds as required by the act. Many candidates also contribute to their own campaigns in varying degrees. This raises the issue of how a reimbursement to a candidate would be administered and monitored.

Absent evidence to the contrary, committee members are not persuaded that the cost of campaigning is a significant barrier to potential candidates in the NWT as it may be in more populous jurisdictions. In addition, reimbursements would unnecessarily increase the complexity of administering elections, which affects both candidates and Elections NWT.

The system of campaign financing in the NWT is currently fair, transparent and independently regulated, as it should be. This does not mean there is no room for improvement. For example, to ensure full transparency and accountability, anonymous donations to candidates’ campaigns are not allowed in half of the Canadian electoral jurisdictions. Some that do allow anonymous contributions limit the total amount a candidate can collect. The committee agrees with this approach and suggests that a limit of $1,500 be imposed per candidate. This is equivalent to the maximum allowed by a single contributor.

Recommendation 8

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the campaign

financing provisions of the act be drafted in plain language, with a view to improving their logical consistency.

Recommendation 9

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the current limit of $100 remain for each anonymous donation, but that each candidate be limited to a total of $1,500 in anonymous contributions to his or her campaign.

Recommendation 10

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the types of expenditures that may be incurred by a candidate, rather than the official agent, be expanded to allow minor, practical expenditures.

Recommendation 11

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the act be amended to require candidates to include statements from accredited financial institutions for campaign accounts in their financial reports to Elections NWT.

Recommendation 12

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures directs the Chief Electoral Officer to provide additional research on the regulation of third-party election advertising for future consideration.

Additional Enforcement Powers

In the event of an investigation of an alleged breach of election law, the CEO currently lacks the power to summon persons to appear, produce documents and give evidence. This can be a serious impediment to thorough investigation.

In the past, the committee has several times called for more active or enhanced enforcement of the Elections and Plebiscites Act.

To address this, the CEO recommended amending the act to grant the CEO the same enforcement powers as a board of inquiry under the Public Inquiries Act, or by conferring appropriate specific powers. These powers are similar to those available to CEOs elsewhere in Canada, including the Yukon and Nunavut, and have already been granted in the NWT to the administrators of the Human Rights Act, Residential Tenancies Act and Electoral Boundaries Commission Act. The committee agrees that thorough investigation of complaints is essential.

Recommendation 13

The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures recommends that the act be amended to strengthen the enforcement powers of the CEO, by conferring the specific power to

summon persons to appear, produce documents and give evidence under oath.

Mr. Speaker, this brings me to the end of reading of the report and MLA Bromley will read out the conclusion. Thank you.