Proposed Boundaries – Quebec

Part II – Rules of Procedure

The following rules of procedure were adopted by the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission established for Quebec under authority of section 18 of the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, R.S.C. 1985, Chapter E-3.

The following terms shall be interpreted as follows:
- a) "Act": the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, R.S.C. 1985, Chapter E-3, as amended;
- b) "advertisement": an advertisement or notice published pursuant to subsections 19(2) and (3) of the Act and giving notice of the date, time and place of the Commission's public sittings;
- c) "Chair": the Chair of the Commission or the Deputy Chair, as the case may be;
- d) "Commission": the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission established for Quebec pursuant to section 3 of the Act and created by proclamation on February 21, 2012;
- e) "notice": the notice in writing that must be addressed to the Commission Secretary by any person interested in making representations within 23 days of the date of publication of the last advertisement, as required by subsection 19(5) of the Act;
- f) "person": any individual or legal entity, whether under public or private law;
- g) "representation": a representation made, pursuant to subsection 19(5) of the Act, by a person with an interest in the geographical boundaries or in the names of one or more electoral districts in Quebec;
- h) "Secretary": the person who acts as Commission Secretary, so named pursuant to subsection 16(2) of the Act.
- i) "sitting": a public sitting held by the Commission under section 19 of the Act; and
For the purpose of calculating the 23-day limit prescribed by subsection 19(5) of the Act, the postmark on a mailed notice and the date of receipt by the Commission appearing on the notice sent by fax or by electronic means will establish the date it was given. Where it is impossible to determine the date it was forwarded, the Commission will decide the admissibility of the notice.
Any person who wishes to make representations at a sitting within the meaning of Rule 1, paragraph (e) must give notice of his or her intentions in accordance with Rule 1, paragraph (b).
The notice must indicate:
- a) the name and address of the person who wishes to make representations;
- b) the nature of the representations;
- c) the nature of the interest in question;
- d) the official language in which the person wishes to be heard;
- e) the grounds for the representations concerning the boundaries and the name of the electoral district;
- f) the relevant references and documentation that the person intends to cite or communicate; and
- g) the sitting of the Commission at which the person wishes to be heard.
The quorum required for a sitting of the Commission is two members.
Any person who requires special arrangements to be made so that the person can make representations at a sitting must inform the Commission Secretary thereof.
Any person who wishes to make representations at a sitting can be represented by only one representative, unless the Commission decides otherwise.
The Commission shall prepare a schedule for hearing representations, to be provided by the Commission Secretary to the persons who have asked to be heard.
If a sitting cannot be held or the representations cannot be completed within the scheduled time, the Chair may postpone or adjourn that sitting.
The Secretary shall then give notice of the date, time and place of the new sitting or the date of adjournment of the sitting to the interested persons. A formal notice shall be given by means deemed appropriate by the Commission.

Dated at Montréal, this 28th day of June, 2012.

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Jules Allard, S.J.C, Chair

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Raymond Hudon, Ph.D., Member

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J. Michel Doyon, Q.C., Ad.E., Ph.D., Member

Warning

To all participants in public sittings:

Any oral or written submission or representation made to the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Quebec is deemed to be a public submission. As such, it is accessible to the general public and may be included in the Commission's reports, published by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada and posted on the Internet.