Part IV – Rules of Procedure – Quebec

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

1. The following terms shall be interpreted as follows:
   1. Act: the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, R.S.C. 1985, Chapter E-3, as amended;
   2. 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;
   3. Chair: the Chair of the Commission or the Deputy Chair, as the case may be;
   4. Commission: the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission established for Quebec pursuant to section 3 of the Act;

   5. 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;

      The form available at redecoupage-redistribution-2022.ca duly completed and submitted within the above-mentioned time limit, shall be deemed to be a notice within the meaning of these rules of procedure.

      In the case of a representation relating to the boundaries of an electoral district, it may be submitted using the interactive mapping tool available at redecoupage-redistribution-2022.ca within the timeframe mentioned above.

   6. person: any individual or legal entity, whether under public or private law;
   7. representation: a representation made by a person with an interest in the geographical boundaries or in the names of one or more electoral districts in Quebec;
   8. Secretary: the person who acts as Commission Secretary, so named pursuant to subsection 16(2) of the Act; and
   9. sitting: a public sitting held by the Commission under section 19 of the Act.
2. For the purpose of abiding by 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 electronic means will establish the date it was given.

3. Any person who wishes to make representations at a sitting within the meaning of Rule 1, paragraph (e) must give notice of their intentions in accordance with Rule 1, paragraph (b) and Rule 4.

   Any message received by the Commission via social media, telephone, or any means other than as provided in Rule 3, and in Rule 1, paragraph (b) does not constitute a notice or representation within the meaning of the Act and these rules and therefore will not be considered.

4. The notice must indicate:
   1. the name and address of the person who wishes to make representations, including, where available, the person's email address;
   2. the nature of the representations;
   3. the nature of the interest in question;
   4. the grounds for the representations concerning the boundaries and the name of the electoral district;
   5. the relevant references and documentation (e.g., the proposed map) that the person intends to cite or communicate; and

   6. the in-person or virtual sitting of the Commission at which the person wishes to be heard, and the official language in which the person wishes to be heard.

      The text of the notice is presented on the front of the pages, on white letter-size paper (21.5 cm x 28 cm), with at least one and one-half line spacing. The margins must not be smaller than 2.5 cm. The computer typeface is 12 point. Font is Arial size 12 or a font that is no more than 12 characters per 2.5 cm.

      The notice should not be more than 10 pages.

      The Commission reserves the right to reject, and return to the originator, notices that do not comply with the requirements of this rule or that do not address a subject matter within the Commission's jurisdiction. The Commission also reserves the right not to hear, for a reason related to preserving the integrity of the consultation process, a person who wished to be heard.

5. The quorum required for a sitting of the Commission is two members.
6. 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 in a timely manner.
7. Any person who wishes to make representations at a sitting can be represented by only one person, unless the Commission decides otherwise.
8. The Commission shall prepare a hearing list, indicating for each person to be heard the time scheduled for their input and the time allotted to them. The Commission Secretary shall provide this hearing list to the persons who will be heard.
9. The Commission Chair, or, if applicable, the member presiding over the sitting, shall take the necessary steps to ensure decorum and respect for the participants.
10. If a sitting cannot be held or the representations cannot be completed within the scheduled time, the Chair may postpone or, where appropriate, adjourn the sitting. The Secretary shall then give notice of the date, time and place of the new sitting to the interested persons.
11. Subject to the mandatory provisions of the Act, the Commission may exempt a person who wishes to make a representation from compliance with a provision of these rules if the circumstances and the public interest warrant it.

Montréal, July 15, 2022.

The Honourable Jacques Chamberland Chair retired Justice of the Quebec Court of Appeal

André Blais Member Full Professor

Louis Massicotte Member retired Full Professor