® FEDERAL ELECTION FEDS SPENDING $5.5M ON NEW INDEPENDENT LEADERS' DEBATES COMMISSION NO NEED FOR PM TO TRY DICTATING RULES OF NEXT 'FEDERAL ELECTION: MILTON MP LISA RAITT JOHN BKILA jbkila@metroland.com Burlington MP and Min- ister of Democratic Institu- tions Karina. Gould an- nounced the federal gov- ernment is dedicating $5.5 million to create an inde- pendent leaders' debates commission. The announcement was made Tuesday (Oct. 30) and stated the commission will be tasked to organize two leaders' debates - one in each official language (En- glish and French) - for the upcoming 2019 federal gen- eral election. "Leaders' debates are a fundamental exercise in democracy.: An indepen- dent comin make the debats 1 More predictable refiable ind stable element of federal election campaign Gould said "Canadians agree that a debates commission needs to be sustainable, non-pazi tisan, independent, and es tablished with the priori ties and interests of Cana dians in mind," she contin ued. "Going forward, the leaders' debates commis- sion will ensure that Cana- dians with disabilities, those living in rural and re- mote. areas, and official language minority com- munities will have access to vital information about their choice of leader, party and platform." The commission is ex- pected to be in place by spring 2019 and led by a commissioner with a sev- en-member ~~ advisory board. Gould also announced the federal government's nominee for the first de- Twitter photo Burlington MP Karina Gould and Minister of Democratic Institutions. bates commissioner will be former governor general David Johnston. "Central to its oversight of the 2019 federal leaders' debates, the commission will work to ensure that the leaders' debates are acces- sible to all Canadians on a Halton Non-Profit Groups: Increase your visibility by taking part in our TU ZINA November 27th, 2018 variety of platforms," a me- dia release stated. "Canadians recom- mended a phased, thought- ful, and independent ap- proach to leaders' debates." But Milton MP Lisa Raitt, who is also deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and offi- cial Opposition, believes there was "no need to im- pose a leaders' debate com- mission," on Canadians. "And there is even less need for the Prime Minis- ter to try dictating the rules of the next election. What IMAaKes think he ha impose the crit next round of bates" she vil "There bates in the than in generations, and = | the rules of those debates 2 were agreed to by all par- 2 ties coming together with © major broadcasters," Raitt added. ts The decision to create = the debates commission was made after online con- sultations with Canadians, a series of roundtables with specialists, broadcast- ers, academics and stake- holders across the country, and a study by the Stand- ing Committee on Proce- dure and House -Affairs, stated the release. The debates commis- sion will prepare a report to Parliament after the 2019 debates, which will outline findings, lessons learned and recommendations on whether or not to make the commission a permanent oversight body. were more de last Alection " ELEMENTSCASINO MOHAWK | FISH & CHIPS 'FRIDAY | 4PM TO 10PM $12.99 FOR NON-MEMBERS HALF RACK OF COUNTRY STYLE BACK RIBS- SATURDAY 4PM TO 10PM $15.99 FOR NON-MEMBERS Multi-Media Feature bill Fi PAIL Contact Vicki Dillane at VDillane@s Joo OCTOBER 26 TO NOVEMBER 29 2018 (o1- special ... Giving Tuesday insert in your November 22nd edition! WIN YOUR SHARE UP TO ------------+ XR WRN IN CASH & ELECTRONICS! (> coceco Switch on amazing insidehalton.com 9430 GUELPH LINE « P.O. BOX 550 » CAMPBELLVILLE. ON LOP 180 » 905.854.4053 » = CLL SHOWN, WINNER CAN ONLY WIN ERE IT'S ALL HERE Play. Sona SOO HEARS ag Ci 184 Py oye AAA LPT wi PE Te) PURCHASE pre ESSARY, VISE THE REWARDS FE ES TE [3 REGULATIONS, Pellegr PANE ni BE 19 YEARS OF AGE OR DLDER, ER NIGHT, 30 WINNERS PLETED WITH FULL NAME BE ELIGIBLE:MUSTBE A Wwo2°uo}jeyapisul