Canada Elections Act

Honourable senators, this item stands adjourned in the name of the Honourable Senator Martin and, after my intervention today, I ask for leave that it remain adjourned in her name.

Honourable senators, I rise today to express my strong support for the initiative advanced by my colleague Senator Donna Dasko through Bill S-213, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (demographic information).

This legislation is, at its core, about something both simple and profoundly important: understanding who is at the table and who is not. By requiring the collection of voluntary demographic data and asking political parties to be transparent about how they select candidates, this bill gives us the tools to see clearly where progress is being made and where it is not.

As we last heard about this bill in October, let me take a moment to refresh our memories on the provisions. The summary at the beginning of the bill clearly lays out its intent:

This enactment amends the Canada Elections Act to require certain registered parties to make diversity-related information available to the public. It further amends the Act to require the Chief Electoral Officer to collect and report on demographic information related to candidates, nomination contestants and leadership contestants.

The bill asks for greater transparency in sharing data with Canadians on the way candidates are selected and who is stepping forward to stand for office. These are measures the Chief Electoral Officer has flagged himself. It does not make demands to parties on what to do. It does not impose quotas. It simply asks for information to be shared with Canadians on what they are currently doing. It also does not make changes to the structure of the electoral system.

As someone who had the privilege of serving as the first female mayor of Moncton, along with three women councillors — the largest number of women in the City of Moncton’s council history to date — I have witnessed first-hand the exponential benefits that come when more women are part of the decision-making process. The character of debate improves. The range of perspectives broadens. The outcomes better reflect the communities we serve. But I have also seen how fragile that progress can be.

In my own experience, the challenge is not ever convincing women to care about their communities. It is ensuring they are recruited, encouraged and positioned to succeed within existing political structures and then supported once they are elected.

That is why I have been actively involved in encouraging female and diverse candidates at all levels of government and why I am a member of Women for 50% — Femmes pour 50% — a New Brunswick non-partisan movement with the aim of electing 50% women to the provincial legislature in the 2028 election.

Currently, women hold less than 30% of the seats in the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly. With accessible data and stated strategies, we can work toward elected officials being more demographically reflective of the Canadian population. We can elect more women and individuals from historically under-represented groups at all levels of office.

Following the recent federal by-elections, we saw three impressive women being sent to join us here in Ottawa by their constituents. In my opinion, this was an exciting gain for gender and minority representation. And they were running alongside other women. Not including independent candidates, in Scarborough Southwest, five out of the eight confirmed candidates, or 62.5%, were women; in University—Rosedale, two out of seven, or 29%; and in Terrebonne, four of the seven, or 57%.

These stats feel like they are supporting what we hope is a trending norm. Unfortunately, the data tells a different story.

The most recent federal election results should give us pause. As Senator Dasko pointed out in her speech, after years of gradual advancement, we are now seeing a troubling decline in the number of women nominated as candidates and a plateau in those ultimately elected. This is not just disappointing; it is a warning sign.

Honourable colleagues, this bill did not emerge overnight. It builds on years of study and reflection. Recommendations from the Chief Electoral Officer as well as the work of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women have consistently pointed to the same gap: We lack comprehensive, standardized data on who seeks to participate in our democratic process and how candidates are selected.

Earlier iterations of this proposal were introduced in previous parliamentary sessions, but like many private members’ initiatives, they did not complete the legislative cycle before Parliament was dissolved. Its reintroduction reflects both its importance and the persistence required to move forward with meaningful reform. For that, I congratulate Senator Dasko for her unrelenting perseverance.

We often say that what gets measured gets managed. The inverse is equally true: What is not measured does not improve. Without reliable, consistent data, we are left to rely on assumptions rather than evidence and aspirations rather than accountability.

Bill S-213 does not impose quotas or dictate outcomes. It does something more foundational: It shines a light. It strengthens transparency. It invites reflection and, importantly, it creates the conditions for meaningful, sustained progress. At a time when public trust in institutions depends on their ability to reflect the diversity of the people they serve, this legislation is both timely and necessary. I encourage all honourable senators to support this thoughtful and pragmatic step toward a more inclusive and representative democracy. Thank you.