Proposed CK federal electoral boundary. (Photo via Commission)Proposed CK federal electoral boundary. (Photo via Commission)
Chatham

New federal boundary is good but could have a downside: CK mayor

The mayor of Chatham-Kent has mixed feelings about a final report looking into federal riding boundaries.

All of Chatham-Kent will fall under the single federal riding of Chatham-Kent-Leamington next year, if the Commission's final boundary recommendations into federal electoral districts are approved by Parliament.

Mayor Darrin Canniff told CK News Today he's glad the Commission listened to the concerns expressed by the Municipality during public consultations about splitting the area from two to three districts.

"The voter confusion is going to be taken care of a lot. Here's your MP that you're voting for the various parties versus if you're in a certain section of Chatham-Kent you vote for this person," said the mayor.

Mayor Canniff also noted the reconfiguration could have a downside for the Municipality going from two MPs down to one.

"Previously, you had two voices coming from Chatham-Kent with the way it is now -- now you're down to one. If you have two voices you're twice as likely to have a cabinet minister, which protects your Municipality. So, there's good and bad with it," Canniff said. "Having two voices as opposed to one is always better, not to say that one voice won't get things done. So, time will tell."

Chatham-Kent is also currently represented by the MP in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. This new plan would add Wallaceburg and Dresden to Chatham-Kent-Leamington.

The final recommendations would also keep Leamington, Pelee Island, and Moraviantown in the Chatham-Kent-Leamington district to reinforce "effective representation of these communities", according to the Commission. However, the riding loses eastern Lakeshore and Walpole Island to the reconfiguration.

The Commission was tasked with drawing 122 electoral districts in Ontario and said it was committed to achieving voter parity throughout the province as much as "reasonably possible."

The population quota established for Ontario is 116,590 and the final Chatham-Kent-Leamington configuration is about 15 per cent over the quota, which is about five per cent over the deviation limit the Commission was trying to achieve.

The Commission said it was urged repeatedly to “keep municipalities whole” wherever possible.

The Ontario recommendations must now be considered by Parliament before being returned to the Commission with any objections. Once the new boundaries are certified, they are proclaimed by the Governor in Council.

The Commission said the changes to the electoral boundaries potentially become official on April 1, 2024 at the earliest.

The constituency assistant for Chatham-Kent-Leamington MP Dave Epp told CK News Today that Epp wishes he could comment on the Boundary Redistribution at this time, but has been asked that all caucus members withhold comment on the matter until they can discuss the report this week and MP Epp will be in touch when he's able to comment.

The full report can be viewed by clicking here.

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