For Immediate Release September 21, 2006

“Legislation to provide fixed election dates introduced in the House”

Ottawa (September 21, 2006) -- Ed Komarnicki, MP, (Souris-Moose Mountain).

In the first week of the fall sittings the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform introduced in the House of Commons a bill providing for fixed election dates every four years.

The bill also establishes Monday, October 19th, 2009 as the date of the next general election. Once the general election is held, the following election would be set for the third Monday in October, four calendar years in the future.

Establishing fixed election dates fulfills one of this government’s key campaign commitments and it is an important step in improving and modernizing Canada’s democratic institutions and practices.

“Not only will it make it much easier to administer and organize elections but it will also take a measure of politics out of election calls. Plus”, said Komarnicki, “the general public has had its fill of short terms and many elections.” “Outside of minority government and loss of confidence a reasonable amount of stability would be built back into the system”, concluded Komarnicki.