Tory bill adds 30 new MPs to House of Commons

POSTMEDIA NEWS

Canadian taxpayers will pay an additional $14.8-million per year to accommodate 30 new MPs to be added to the House of Commons under new legislation introduced on Oct. 27 to improve representation by population across the country, said Tim Uppal, the federal minister of state for democratic reform.

In an interview with Postmedia News, Uppal said that the new costs would begin after the next expected election in 2015 and be in addition to about $11.5-million in costs associated with each general election.

The Fair Representation Act introduces a new formula that would expand the House of Commons from 308 to 338 seats, based on existing population estimates that show growth in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, which would gain more influence in the new Parliament.

“What’s really important here is that Canadians expect fair and equitable representation and it’s important that we bring the faster growing provinces closer to representation by population,” said Uppal, who chose to release the plan hundreds of kilometres away from Parliament Hill in Brampton, Ont.

Quebec will have 78 seats representing 23.28 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons with 23.22 per cent of population. Under current seat distribution, it has 75 seats or 23.28% of seats in the Commons.

Nunavik, which is included in the federal riding of Abitibi- James Bay- Nunavik, has called for a federal riding of its own for years.

The three territories — Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and the Yukon — won’t see any increase under the new plan to improve representation.

Each territory has one seat in the House of Commons.

with files from Nunatsiaq News