September 20, 2012
Mr. M. de Rond, Clerk COPY Town of Ajax The Regional Municipality 65 Harwood Avenue South of Durham Ajax, ON L 1S 2H9 Clerk's Department
605 ROSSLAND RD. E. RE: PROPOSED FEDERAL ELECTORAL DISTRICTS PO BOX 623 WHITBY ON L 1N 6A3 READJUSTMENTS (2012-A-34) OUR FILE: LOO . CANADA 905-668-7711 1-800-372-11 02 Please be advised the Finance & Administration Committee of Fax: 905-668-9963 Regional Council considered the above matter and at a meeting held E-mail: [email protected] on September 19, 2012, Council adopted the following www.durham.ca recommendations of the Committee: Pat M. Madill, A.M.C.T., CMM Ill Regional Clerk "a) THAT a task force comprising the Regional Chair and interested area municipal mayors be established to review the proposed federal electoral district readjustments;
b) THAT Regional Council authorize the task force to develop a submission and make a presentation at the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Ontario; and
c) THAT Report #2012-A-34 of the Chief Administrative Officer be forwarded to the eight area municipalities."
Attached for your information is a copy of Report #2012-A-34 of the Chief Administrative Officer.
MIll
PMM/np Attach.
100% Post Consumer c. P.L. Barrie, Clerk, Municipality of Clarington D. Sh ields, Clerk, City of Pickering D. Leroux, Clerk, Township of Uxbridge T. Gettinby, CAO/Cierk, Township of Brock S. Krane, Clerk, City of Oshawa K. Coates, Clerk, Township of Scugog D. Wilcox, Clerk, Town ofWhitby G.H. Cub itt, Chief Administrative Officer The Regional Municipality of Durham Report to: The Finance and Administration Committee From: Chief Administrative Officer Report No.: 2012-A-34 Date: September 19, 2012
SUBJECT:
Proposed Federal Electoral District Readjustments
RECOMMENDATIONS:
THAT the Finance and Administration Committee recommends to Regional Council: a) THAT a task force comprising the Regional Chair and interested area municipal mayors be established to review the proposed federal electoral district readjustments; and b) THAT Regional Council authorize the task force to develop a submission and make a presentation at the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Ontario; and c) THAT this report be forwarded to the eight area municipalities.
REPORT:
1. BACKGROUND
The Constitution Act 1867 established a formula to determine the number of electoral districts represented in the House of Commons. The formula takes into account the changes in provincial population (as determined by decennial census).
The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Ontario is an independent body charged with readjusting the electoral boundaries under the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act.
The population in Ontario has increased from 11,410,046 in 2001 to 12,851,821 in 2011. This has resulted in a change to the number of electoral districts in Ontario from 106 to 121. The quota for an electoral district is 106,213, and the Commission is required (as closely as reasonably possible) to have each district contain the quota population.
'1 i Report No.: 2012-A-34 Page No.: 2
The deadline for notice of intent to make representation is· October 1 , 2012.
2. PROPOSED BOUNDARY CHANGES
Currently the area municipalities fall within six electoral districts as follows: • Pickering - Scarborough East (not completely within Durham) • Ajax - Pickering • Whitby - Oshawa • Oshawa • Clarington - Scugog - Uxbridge • Haliburton- Kawartha Lakes- Broqk (very little in Durham)
Under the proposed changes there would be eight electoral districts as follows: • Pickering - Brooklin • Ajax • Whitby • Oshawa - Bowmanville • Oshawa - Durham • Kawartha Lakes- Port Hope - Cobourg (only a small portion of Clarington falls within this district} • Haliburton - Uxbridge (this includes Uxbridge south of Davis Drive, Scugog and Brock} • York- Simcoe (only the area north of Davis Drive falls within this district)
Please see attached map (Attachment 1) for detailed boundary lines and population distribution of Durham within those districts.
3. IMPLICATIONS FOR REGION OF DURHAM
Councillors have expressed concern with the proposed changes to the electoral districts.
The stated approach to reviewing the electoral districts was to respect existing municipal boundaries (where possible).The proposed boundary changes appear to unnecessarily fragment Durham even further than is the current situation. There would be three districts where Durham residents are a population minority.
Another stated consideration is that the establishment of the quota should respect the community of interest or community of identity. The geographic size of the Haliburton-Uxbridge riding is extensive, and it Report No.: 2012-A-34 Page No.: 3
would be difficult to understand that the Durham Region municipalities included in this district are part of a community of identity with Algonquin Park.
Since the population quota for electoral districts in Ontario is 106,213, and the population of Durham Region is 636,915, that could translate into six electoral districts with populations of 106,152. Clearly the numbers may not fall quite as neatly - but that is a starting point and a rationale for reconsidering the boundaries.
4. NEXT STEPS
During the previous electoral redistribution, with the support of the Region several Durham mayors formed an informal taskforce to explore different options to the proposed boundary changes with one of them presenting an alternative to the Commission. As a result ofthe submission some amendments to the original proposed boundaries were made.
A similar, but more formalized, process is recommended to consider the current proposals, and a task force should be struck to consider this matter. The task force would comprise the Regional Chair and interested mayors. Staff would facilitate the process and provide any required support.
Once the position has been formulated, the task force would make a 1 presentation at the November 13 h hearing in Oshawa. As noted earlier, the deadline for notice of intent to make representation is October 1 , 2012.
5. CONCLUSION
·The result of the proposed changes to the electoral districts in Ontario would be to divide Durham and possibly lessen full representation of its residents' interests. There is an opportunity to present a case for an alternative option to the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Ontario through the submissions process.
G~ny11\CUb itt , M.S.W. Ctiie'f.p.s)ninistrative Officer
,... . J Proposed Federal Electoral Districts (FEDs) (FEDs' Population vs. Durham Population Share in the Proposed FEDs - 2011
Legend
4 D Municipal Boundary