March 24, 2014

Mr. Marc Mayrand Chief Electoral Officer Elections Canada 30 Victoria Street Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0M6 Dear Mr. Mayrand: At its meeting of March 24, 2014, the Board of Internal Economy instructed me in my capacity as Chair, to send to you information that has come before the Board related to largevolume mailings (enclosed). While it is within the Boards jurisdiction to consider the matter as it relates to the use of House of Commons resources within the prescribed policy, the Board is referring the information to you to consider whether there are any impacts of these mailings with respect to the elections regime under the purview of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, specifically by-elections held in 2013. Yours sincerely,

[Original signed by] Andrew Scheer, M.P. Encl. c.c.: Audrey OBrien, Clerk of the House of Commons Yves Ct, Commissioner of Canada Elections

SUBJECT:

LARGE-VOLUME MAILINGS OUTSIDE RIDINGS

BACKGROUND On November 20, 2013, the Director of Political Operations for the Conservative Party of Canada wrote to the Speaker of the House of Commons to request an investigation related to partisan mailings issued by the NDP for distribution in electoral districts during the by-election period. A similar request, not just related to the by-elections, was received on November 21, 2013, from Mr. Andr Bellavance, M.P. The various mailings were from Members other than the Member for the constituency in which the material was delivered. The Board of Internal Economy is reviewing the matter but agreed at its meeting of March 24, 2014, to ask its Chair to apprise Elections Canada of the concerns that had been raised with regard to mailings that occurred in ridings where by-elections were held in 2013, as follows:

Riding

# of NDP planned mailings 155,428

Bourassa

# of Sender households in the riding 50,095 Alexandre Boulerice Sadia Groguh Lysane BlanchetteLamothe Guy Caron

Mailing Dates

Toronto Centre

165,188

92,382

Craig Scott Megan Leslie

Provencher

65,003

43,686

Dany Morin

July 30 August 12, 2013 August 28 September 10, 2013 October 2 October 15, 2013 October 16 October 18, 2013 July 16 August 2, 2013 October 2 October 18, 2013 and January 29, 2014 September 9 September 27, 2013

The content of the mailings cannot be confirmed since the House Administration was not responsible for their production. The House Administration does not have the legal authority to open sealed mail so it cannot verify the contents.

March 24, 2014