Federal electoral districts redistribution 2022

Process for Public Engagement and Consultation

Integral to the adjustment of electoral district boundaries is a consultation process with the public. All the residents of our province were encouraged to participate in this process and provide feedback to the Commission. The Commission integrated this feedback into the preparation of its report, to be submitted to the House of Commons.

The consultation process included a series of public hearings, which took place across the province, and residents were also encouraged to send written feedback directly to the Commission. All written feedback was to be submitted in advance of the public hearings, by August 1, 2022. However, in response to numerous requests, the submission deadline was extended to September 17.

Commission Contact Information

Residents may contact the Newfoundland and Labrador Electoral Boundaries Commission by email as follows:
NL-TNL@redecoupage-federal-redistribution.ca.

For updates on the boundaries commission processes in Newfoundland and Labrador as well as across the country, the public was invited to follow the Commission's social media accounts on Twitter @FedBoundaries, on Facebook @FedBoundaries and on Instagram @FedBoundaries. Official proposals were not accepted through these social media channels. However, the public was able to submit feedback to the Commission by email or by letter mail at the address above.

Public Hearings

Public hearings took place, in each of the proposed districts across the province, in the months of August and September. The Commission was pleased to receive detailed and thoughtful feedback from residents of the province on its preliminary proposal, and it encouraged individuals and groups to submit written commentary, either in addition to or instead of an in-person appearance at the public hearings. A detailed list of hearings, including dates and locations, can be found in Appendix A.

How Public Hearings Were Conducted

The hearings were conducted following the rules below.

  1. These rules may be cited as the "Rules of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador (Hearing of Representations), 2022."
  2. In these rules:
    1. "Act" means the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, R.S.C. 1985, c E-3;
    2. "advertisement" means a notice or notices published as directed in subsection 19(2) of the Act, setting forth the times and the places where the sittings shall be held for the hearing of representations;
    3. "Chairperson" includes the Deputy Chairperson;
    4. "Commission" means the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, established by proclamation dated November 1, 2021;
    5. "Commission Secretary" means the Secretary to the Commission;
    6. "notice" means a written expression of intention to make a representation in compliance with subsection 19(5) of the Act;
    7. "representation" means any expression of opinion presented by any interested person at a duly convened sitting of the Commission relating to the division of the province into electoral districts, as proposed by the Commission;
    8. "sitting" means a public hearing convened by the Commission in accordance with and for the purpose set out in section 19 of the Act.
  3. A person giving notice shall state:
    1. at which of the places designated in the advertisement such person wishes to make a representation;
    2. the language of preference that the person wishes to use and any special needs that he or she may have.
  4. If a person giving notice fails to comply with the provisions of Rule  , the Commission Secretary shall ascertain from such person the place at which such person wishes to appear to make a representation, his or her language of preference and any special needs.
  5. Rules 3 and 4 are made for administrative purposes only and do not operate to prevent a person who has given notice from making the representation at any place of sitting of the Commission set out in the advertisement, subject only to the power of the Commission pursuant to Rule 6 to cancel a sitting at that place.
  6. If it appears that no one will make a representation at any place designated by the advertisement as a place of sitting, the Commission or the Chairperson thereof may cancel the sitting at such place.
  7. If a quorum cannot be present at a place of sitting on the date set by the advertisement, the Commission or the Chairperson thereof may postpone that sitting to a later date.
  8. The Commission Secretary shall inform any person who has given notice, but has not been heard, of such cancellation or postponement. Public notice shall also be given by the Chairperson or the Commission by such means as they consider adequate.
  9. Sittings shall be held in public, and representations shall be made with due regard to formal procedures.
  10. Only one person shall be heard in the presentation of a representation at a sitting unless the Commission, in its discretion, decides otherwise.
  11. At each sitting, the Commission shall decide the order in which the representations are heard.
  12. The Commission may hear an oral representation by conference call with the consent of the person wishing to make a representation.
  13. The Commission will consider any written submissions made in compliance with these rules and the Act, and it will make public such submissions at one or more of the sittings.
  14. Two members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the holding of a sitting.
  15. When the hearing of a representation cannot be completed within the time allotted, the Commission may adjourn the sitting to a later date.
  16. The Commission shall have the power to waive any requirement that the Commission deems to be a defect in form and not in substance.
  17. The Commission may hear a representation without notice having been given if the Commission considers it to be in the public interest to do so.

Virtual Hearings Process

Given the pandemic situation and the increased expectation from the public with regard to online services, the Newfoundland and Labrador Commission held a virtual public hearing. In addition to the principles applied to in-person public hearings, the following procedures and requirements applied to virtual public hearings:

  • The link to the virtual public hearing was not public, and it was shared only with participants or observers who had registered with the Commission and with members of the media.
  • A moderator managed the agenda as well as the speaking time and microphones of the participants.
  • Participants had the option to share their screen.
  • Participants used headsets, in most cases.