Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the question. Indeed, as the Member pointed out, one of the provisions in this bill is to repeal the prohibition on broadcasting. This initially was a recommendation that I made following the 2011 election. It has been discussed thoroughly by committee, the Committee on Rules and Procedures, on a couple of occasions during public reviews.

One of the complicating factors that arose after the 2011 election was we recognized that while many forms of campaign advertising were allowed on the day of polling and the day immediately prior to polling, one that wasn’t was broadcasting as it was technically defined by the federal Broadcasting Act. This led to confusion on the part of some as to what

was allowed and what was not allowed. By repealing the prohibition on broadcasting, not only does it mitigate that confusion and make for an easier campaign process but, in addition to that, it allows for the greater dissemination of messages about voting and about campaigns which are particularly important on the day of voting and the day immediately prior to voting, particularly in light of declining voter turnout rates in the Northwest Territories and indeed across democracies in the western world.