Rules – Saskatchewan

As the Notice of Sittings section indicates, the Commission will be holding a number of public hearings. In accordance with section 18 of the Act, the Commission has developed rules for regulating its public hearings, as follows:

1. These rules may be cited as The Rules of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Saskatchewan, 2022.
2. In these Rules:
   1. Act means the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. E-3;
   2. advertisement means the advertisement published by the Commission pursuant to subsection 19(2) of the Act;
   3. Commission means the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Saskatchewan established following the 2021 decennial census;
   4. notice of intention to make a representation means notice in writing given to the Secretary pursuant to subsection 19(5) of the Act;
   5. Secretary means the Secretary of the Commission;
   6. sitting means a sitting held for the hearing of representations in accordance with section 19 of the Act.
3. These rules may be cited as The Rules of the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission for Saskatchewan, 2022.
4. A person giving notice of intention to make a representation shall state in the notice at which of the places, named in the advertisement as a place of sitting, that person wishes the representation to be heard. Such person may elect to make their submission in writing only, provided that such election is made in writing and delivered to the Secretary within the time limit for giving notice of intention to make a representation. The written submission must be delivered to the Secretary at the time of making such election or within 30 days thereafter.
5. If a person giving notice of intention to make a representation fails to comply with the provisions of Rule 4, the Secretary shall forthwith ascertain from such person the place at which that person wishes to make the representation.
6. If it appears to the Commission that no one will make a representation at any place designated by the advertisement as a place of sitting, the Commission, or the Chair of the Commission, may cancel the sitting at such place.
7. Two members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the holding of a sitting to hear representations.
8. If a quorum cannot be present at a place of sitting on the date set out in the advertisement, the Commission, or the Chair of the Commission, may postpone that sitting to a later date.

9. (1) In the event of the cancellation of a sitting for reasons other than that set forth in Rule 7 or in the event of the postponement of a sitting, the Secretary shall forthwith notify any person who has given notice of intention to make a representation that the sitting has been cancelled or postponed. In such an event, the Secretary shall advise such person or persons at which other sitting the person may make her or his representation.

   (2) In the event of the cancellation or postponement of a sitting, the Commission, or the Chair of the Commission, shall give public notice of such postponement or cancellation by such means as the Commission, or the Chair of the Commission, considers adequate in the circumstances.

10. If it appears at a sitting of the Commission that the Commission cannot complete hearing representations within the time allowed for the sitting, the Commission may adjourn the sitting to a later date at the same place or may, taking into account the convenience of persons whose representations have not been heard or have been only partly heard, adjourn the sitting to a sitting of the Commission elsewhere.
11. As a general rule, representations will be limited to 15 minutes, including the time needed to set up and to take down any equipment that might be part of the presentation.
12. Notwithstanding anything contained in these rules, a person who has given notice of intention to make a representation and who has indicated a desire to be heard at one of the places specified in the advertisement may, with the consent of the Commission, or the Chair of the Commission, be heard at any other sitting specified in the advertisement.
13. At each sitting the Commission shall decide the order in which representations are heard.
14. Having regard for issues surrounding the pandemic and the increased expectation from the public with regard to online services, the Commission will hold one or more virtual public hearings, depending on the utility and the demand. In addition to the principles to be applied to in-person public hearings, the following procedures and requirements apply to virtual public hearings:
    1. the link to the virtual public hearing is made available only to participants and observers who have registered with the commission and to members of the media and is not to be shared;
    2. a moderator will manage the agenda, the allotted speaking time and the microphones of the participants;
    3. participants will have the option to share their screen;
    4. the use of a headset by presenters is recommended;
    5. presenters may choose to participate by phone;
    6. simultaneous translation will be available, if requested.

Dated at Regina, Saskatchewan, 27th day of April, 2022.

The Honourable Madam Justice Georgina Jackson, Chair Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan, Regina

Dr. Bonita Beatty, Deschambault Lake Associate professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies University of Saskatchewan

Professor Mark Carter, Saskatoon Professor in the College of Law University of Saskatchewan