This enactment amends the Canada Elections Act (“the Act”) to require the Chief Electoral Officer to issue interpretation notes and guidelines on the application of that Act to registered parties, registered associations, nomination contestants, candidates and leadership contestants. It also requires the Chief Electoral Officer, on request, to issue a written opinion on the application of provisions of the Act to an activity or practice that a registered party, registered association, nomination contestant, candidate or leadership contestant proposes to engage in.
The enactment also modifies the Chief Electoral Officer’s power under section 17 of the Act so that the power may only be exercised to allow electors to exercise their right to vote or to allow votes to be counted. It also limits the Chief Electoral Officer’s power to transmit advertising messages to electors and requires the Chief Electoral Officer to ensure that any information so transmitted is accessible to electors with disabilities.
The enactment further amends the Act to permit the Chief Electoral Officer to seek approval from parliamentary committees to test an alternative voting process (but where such a pilot project is to test a form of electronic voting, the Chief Electoral Officer must first obtain the approval of the Senate and House of Commons). The enactment also eliminates the mandatory retirement of the Chief Electoral Officer at age 65 and replaces it with a 10-year non-renewable term. It provides for the establishment of an Advisory Committee of Political Parties to provide advice to the Chief Electoral Officer on matters relating to elections and political financing. The enactment also amends the Act to provide for the appointment of field liaison officers, based on merit, to provide support to returning officers and provide a link between returning officers and the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer. It also enables the Chief Electoral Officer to temporarily suspend a returning officer during an election period and provides for the appointment of additional election officers at polling stations. Finally, it empowers registered parties and registered associations, in addition to candidates, to provide names of individuals for election officer positions and changes the deadline for providing those names from the 17th day before polling day to the 24th day before polling day.
The enactment also adds to the Act Part 16.1, which deals with voter contact calling services. Among other things, that Part requires that calling service providers and other interested parties file registration notices with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, provide identifying information to the Commission and keep copies of scripts and recordings used to make calls. That Part also requires that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission establish and maintain a registry, to be known as the Voter Contact Registry, in which the documents it receives in relation to voter contact calling services are to be kept.
The enactment also replaces Part 18 of the Act with a new, comprehensive set of rules on political financing that corrects a number of deficiencies in the Act. Notably, the enactment
(a) increases the annual contribution limits for contributions to registered parties, registered associations, candidates and nomination and leadership contestants to $1,500 per year and by $25 per year after the first year;
With respect to voter identification, the enactment amends the Act to require the same voter identification for voting at the office of the returning officer in an elector’s own riding as it requires for voting at ordinary polls. It also prohibits the use of the voter information card as proof of identity, eliminates the ability of an elector to prove their identity through vouching, allows an elector to swear a written oath of their residence provided that their residence is attested to on oath by another elector, and requires an elector whose name was crossed off the electors’ list in error to take a written oath before receiving a ballot.
The enactment also amends the Act to provide an extra day of advance polling on the eighth day before polling day, creating a block of four consecutive advance polling days between the tenth and seventh days before polling day. It requires a separate ballot box for each day of advance polling and details procedures for the opening and closing of ballot boxes during an advance poll. Finally, it gives returning officers the authority to recover ballot boxes on the Chief Electoral Officer’s direction if the integrity of the vote is at risk.
The enactment also amends the Act to, among other things, establish a process to communicate polling station locations to electors, candidates and political parties, to provide that only an elector’s year of birth is to be displayed on the lists of electors used at the polls, instead of the full date of birth, to permit candidates’ representatives to move to any polling station in the electoral district after being sworn in at any polling station in the district and to establish a procedure for judicial recounts.
The enactment further amends the Act to change how the Commissioner of Canada Elections is appointed. It establishes that the Commissioner is to be appointed by the Director of Public Prosecutions for a seven-year term, subject to removal for cause, that the Commissioner is to be housed within the Director’s office but is to conduct investigations independently from the Director, and that the Commissioner is to be a deputy head for the purposes of hiring staff for his or her office and for managing human resources.
The enactment also amends the Act to add the offence of impersonating or causing another person to impersonate a candidate, a candidate’s representative, a representative of a registered party or registered association, the Chief Electoral Officer, a member of the Chief Electoral Officer’s staff, an election officer or a person authorized to act on the Chief Electoral Officer’s or an election officer’s behalf. It also adds the offences of providing false information in the course of an investigation and obstructing a person conducting an investigation. In addition, it creates offences in relation to registration on the lists of electors, registration on polling day, registration at an advance polling station and obligations to keep scripts and recordings used in the provision of voter contact calling services.
The enactment further amends the Act to provide for increases in the amount of penalties. For the more serious offences, it raises the maximum fine from $2,000 to $20,000 on summary conviction and from $5,000 to $50,000 on conviction on indictment. For most strict liability offences, it raises the maximum fine from $1,000 to $2,000. For registered parties, it raises the maximum fine from $25,000 to $50,000 on summary conviction for strict liability political financing offences and from $25,000 to $100,000 on summary conviction for political financing offences that are committed intentionally. For third parties that are groups or corporations that fail to register as third parties, it raises the maximum fine to $50,000 for strict liability offences and to $100,000 for offences that are committed intentionally and for offences applying primarily to broadcasters, it raises the maximum fine from $25,000 to $50,000.
The enactment amends the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act to authorize the Chief Electoral Officer to provide administrative support to electoral boundary commissions. It amends the Telecommunications Act to create new offences relating to voter contact calling services and to allow the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to use the inspection and investigation regime in that Act to administer and enforce part of the voter contact calling services regime in the Canada Elections Act . It amends the Conflict of Interest Act to have that Act apply to the Chief Electoral Officer. It also amends the Director of Public Prosecutions Act to provide that the Director of Public Prosecutions reports on the activities of the Commissioner of Canada Elections.
Finally, the enactment includes transitional provisions that, among other things, provide for the transfer of staff and appropriations from the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to support the Commissioner of Canada Elections.
Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:
1. This Act may be cited as the Fair Elections Act .
(2) The definitions , , , , , , , , , , , , and in subsection 2(1) of the Act are replaced by the following:
« candidat » means a person whose nomination as a candidate at an election has been confirmed under subsection 71(1) and who, or whose official agent, has not yet complied with sections 477.59 to 477.72 and 477.8 to 477.84 in respect of that election. « agent principal » means the chief agent named in the application of a political party to become a registered party as required under paragraph 385(2)(h) or a chief agent’s replacement appointed under subsection 400(1). « période électorale » means the period beginning with the issue of the writ and ending on polling day or, if the writ is withdrawn under subsection 59(1) or is deemed to be withdrawn under subsection 31(3) of the Parliament of Canada Act , on the day that the writ is withdrawn or deemed to be withdrawn. « agent de circonscription » means a person appointed under subsection 456(1), and includes the financial agent of a registered association. « parti admissible » means a political party that satisfies the criteria for registration set out in section 387. « agent de campagne à la direction » means a person appointed under subsection 478.5(1), and includes the financial agent of a leadership contestant. « dépense de campagne à la direction » means an expense reasonably incurred by or on behalf of a leadership contestant during a leadership contest as an incidence of the contest, including a personal expense as defined in section 478. « candidat à la direction » means a person who has been registered in the registry of leadership contestants referred to in section 478.4 in respect of a leadership contest and who, or whose financial agent, has not yet complied with sections 478.8 to 478.97 in respect of that leadership contest. « dépense de campagne d’investiture » means an expense reasonably incurred by or on behalf of a nomination contestant during a nomination contest as an incidence of the contest, including a personal expense as defined in section 476. « candidat à l’investiture » means a person who is named as a nomination contestant under paragraph 476.1(1)(c) in a report filed in accordance with subsection 476.1(1) in respect of a nomination contest and who, or whose financial agent, has not yet complied with sections 476.75 to 476.94 in respect of that nomination contest. « agent officiel » means a person appointed under subsection 477.1(1) or an official agent’s replacement appointed under section 477.42. « agent enregistré » means a person appointed under subsection 396(1), and includes the chief agent of a registered party. « association enregistrée » means an electoral district association that is registered in the registry of electoral district associations referred to in section 455. « parti enregistré » means a political party that is registered in the registry of political parties referred to in section 394 as a registered party.
« contribution monétaire » contribution monétaire Toute somme d’argent versée et non remboursable.« bien immobilisé » means any property with a commercial value of more than $200 that is normally used outside an election period other than for the purposes of an election.
3. Section 13 of the Act is replaced by the following:
4. Paragraph 16(d) of the Act is replaced by the following:
5. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 16:
16.3 An interpretation of a provision of the Act in a guideline or interpretation note that is published under subsection 16.1(5) or in an opinion that is published under subsection 16.2(4) that contradicts an interpretation of that provision provided in a previously issued guideline, interpretation note or opinion does not replace the interpretation in that previously issued guideline, interpretation note or opinion until the date that the guideline or interpretation note is issued under section 16.1 or the opinion is issued under section 16.2.
16.4 The Chief Electoral Officer shall establish and maintain a registry on his or her Internet site that contains every guideline and interpretation note that is issued under section 16.1, every opinion that is issued under section 16.2 and all comments of the Commissioner that are provided under subsection 16.1(3) or 16.2(2).
5.1 The Act is amended by adding the following before section 17:
6. Subsections 17(1) and (2) of the Act are replaced by the following:
7. Section 18 of the Act is replaced by the following:
17.1 The Chief Electoral Officer may implement public education and information programs to make the electoral process better known to students at the primary and secondary levels.
8. Section 18.1 of the Act is replaced by the following:
18.01 The Chief Electoral Officer may, at the Governor in Council’s request, provide assistance and cooperation in electoral matters to electoral agencies in other countries or to international organizations.
18.1 The Chief Electoral Officer may carry out studies on voting, including studies respecting alternative voting processes, and may devise and test an alternative voting process for future use in a general election or a by-election. Such a process may not be used for an official vote without the prior approval of the committees of the Senate and of the House of Commons that normally consider electoral matters or, in the case of an alternative electronic voting process, without the prior approval of the Senate and the House of Commons.
9. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 18.2:
18.3 A requirement under a provision of this Act for a signature may be satisfied in any manner that the Chief Electoral Officer authorizes.
10. Section 20 of the Act is replaced by the following:
11. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 21:
13. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 23:
23.1 An election officer shall not communicate with the public by the use of calls, as defined in section 348.01, that are unsolicited.
15. Subsection 27(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
17. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 32:
32.1 After the issue of the writ, a returning officer may, with the Chief Electoral Officer’s approval, in the prescribed form, appoint any other person whose attendance is, in the returning officer’s opinion, necessary for the conduct of the vote or the counting of the votes at a polling station or an advance polling station, and may assign to that person any duties or functions that the returning officer considers to be appropriate.
18. Subsection 34(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
19. Subsection 35(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
20. Sections 36 and 37 of the Act are replaced by the following:
36. A returning officer shall proceed to appoint deputy returning officers and poll clerks from other sources if, by the 24th day before polling day, none of the candidate, the registered association and the registered party has made a recommendation or all three have not, as a group, recommended a sufficient number of suitable persons.
21. Subsections 39(3) and (4) of the Act are replaced by the following:
If the candidate, registered association and registered party do not, as a group, provide a sufficient number of names of suitable persons, the registered party’s remaining share of the appointments shall be made from among the names solicited by the returning officer from other sources.
24. Paragraphs 64(2)(a) and (b) of the Act are replaced by the following:
25. Paragraph 65(i) of the Act is replaced by the following:
27. Paragraph 67(4)(c) of the Act is replaced by the following:
28. Subsection 73(2) of the French version of the Act is replaced by the following:
29. The heading before section 82 and sections 82 to 88 of the Act are repealed.
30. Section 90 of the Act is repealed.
31. The heading before section 92.1 and sections 92.1 to 92.6 of the Act are repealed.
32. Section 95 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (3):
33. Section 96 of the Act is renumbered as subsection 96(1) and is amended by adding the following:
34. Section 98 of the Act is replaced by the following:
98. The returning officer may open one or more offices for the revision of the preliminary lists of electors. The office or offices shall have level access.
36. Section 106 of the Act is replaced by the following:
106. Each returning officer shall, without delay after the 7th day before polling day but no later than the 3rd day before polling day, prepare the official list of electors for each polling division for use on polling day.
37. Subsections 107(2) and (3) of the Act are replaced by the following:
38. Subsection 110(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
40. The portion of subsection 117(2) of the Act before paragraph (a) is replaced by the following:
41. Paragraph 119(1)(g) of the Act is replaced by the following:
42. Subsection 123(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:
43. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 125:
47. Section 143.1 of the Act is replaced by the following:
48. Sections 147 and 148 of the Act are replaced by the following:
147. If a person asks for a ballot at a polling station after someone else has voted under that person’s name, the person shall not be allowed to vote unless he or she takes an oath in writing in the prescribed form. The form is to state the penalty that may be imposed under this Act on a person who is found guilty of requesting a second ballot at an election contrary to section 7 or of applying for a ballot in a name that is not his or her own contrary to paragraph 167(1)(a).
148. If an elector claims that his or her name has been crossed off in error from an official list of electors under subsection 176(2) or (3), the elector shall not be allowed to vote unless the returning officer verifies that the elector’s name was crossed off in error or the elector takes the oath referred to in section 147 in writing.
49. Subsection 148.1(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
51. Section 161.1 of the Act is replaced by the following:
52. Paragraphs 162(i.1) and (i.2) of the Act are replaced by the following:
53. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 164:
164.1 For each general election and by-election, the Chief Electoral Officer shall engage an auditor that he or she considers to have technical or specialized knowledge — other than a member of his or her staff or an election officer — to perform an audit and report on whether deputy returning officers, poll clerks and registration officers have, on all days of advance polling and on polling day, properly exercised the powers conferred on them, and properly performed the duties and functions imposed on them, under sections 143 to 149, 161 to 162 and 169.
55. Section 169.1 of the Act is replaced by the following:
56. Subsection 171(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:
57. Paragraph 174(1)(a) of the Act is replaced by the following:
59. Subsection 233(3) of the Act is replaced by the following:
60. Section 237 of the Act is replaced by the following:
237. Subject to section 237.1, on acceptance of an elector’s application for registration and special ballot, the elector shall be given a special ballot, or, if section 241 applies, a ballot, an inner envelope and an outer envelope.
62. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 288:
288.01 The deputy returning officer shall place the form for each oath taken under subsection 143(3) or paragraph 161(1)(b) or 169(2)(b) in an envelope supplied for the purpose.
288.1 The deputy returning officer shall place a copy of each document prepared for the purpose of paragraph 162(i.1) in an envelope supplied for the purpose.
63. Subsection 289(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:
64. Subsection 290(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
65. Section 291 of the Act is replaced by the following:
291. A returning officer shall — on the request of the candidate, his or her representative or a representative of the candidate’s party — provide him or her, after polling day, with
66. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 292:
292.1 A returning officer, on the receipt of each envelope referred to in section 288.01, shall create a list of the names of all persons who took an oath under subsection 143(3) or paragraph 161(1)(b) or 169(2)(b) and shall include in the list the address of each of those persons.
67. Subsection 301(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:
68. Section 303 of the Act is repealed.
69. Subsection 304(3) of the Act is replaced by the following:
70. Section 308 of the Act is amended by striking out “and” at the end of paragraph (a), by adding “and” at the end of paragraph (b) and by adding the following after paragraph (b):
72. The definition in section 319 of the Act is amended by striking out “or” at the end of paragraph (c), by adding “or” at the end of paragraph (d) and by adding the following after paragraph (d):
73. Section 329 of the Act and the heading before it are repealed.
74. Subsection 345(3) of the Act is replaced by the following:
75. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 348:
348.01 The following definitions apply in this Part.
means any automatic equipment that has the capability to store or produce telephone numbers and that is used alone or in conjunction with other equipment to convey a pre-recorded or synthesized voice message to those telephone numbers.
means any of the following types of calls that are made to telephone numbers:
« fournisseur de services d’appel »
means a person or group that carries on a business whose activities include the making of calls for or on behalf of another person or group.
means a registered party, registered association, unincorporated trade union, trade association or other group of persons acting together by mutual consent for a common purpose.
means a third party that is registered under section 353.
means a person or a group, other than a registered party, registered association, candidate or nomination contestant.
« services d’appels aux électeurs »
means services involving the making of calls during an election period for any purpose related to an election, including
76. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 348.01:
348.02 A person or group shall not enter into an agreement with a calling service provider for voter contact calling services unless
348.03 Before a person enters into an agreement with a calling service provider for voter contact calling services, either in their own name or on behalf of another person or a group, the person shall inform the calling service provider that the agreement is for voter contact calling services and shall provide the calling service provider with their name, address and telephone number and a copy of a piece of identification authorized by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission that contains their name.
348.11 The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is responsible for establishing and maintaining a registry, to be known as the Voter Contact Registry, in which all documents provided to it under sections 348.06 to 348.09 are to be kept.
348.12 As soon as feasible after the expiry of 30 days after polling day, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission shall, in the manner that it considers appropriate, publish the registration notices relating to the election that have been filed with it.
348.14 The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission may authorize the types of pieces of identification and of copies of such pieces of identification for the purposes of sections 348.03 to 348.05 and 348.07 to 348.09.
348.15 The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission shall, on the request of the Commissioner, disclose to the Commissioner any document or information that it received under this Division that the Commissioner considers necessary for the purpose of ensuring compliance with and enforcement of this Act, other than this Division.
77. The Act is amended by adding the following before Part 17:
348.16 Every calling service provider that, in accordance with an agreement, provides voter contact calling services shall keep, for three years after the end of the election period,
348.17 Every person or group that enters into an agreement with a calling service provider under which voter contact calling services are provided shall keep, for one year after the end of the election period,
348.18 If, during an election period, a person or group uses their internal services to make calls by means of an automatic dialing-announcing device for any purpose relating to the election, including a purpose referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (e) of the definition in section 348.01, the person or group shall keep a recording of each unique message conveyed by the device and a record of every date on which it was so conveyed, for one year after the end of the election period.
348.19 If, during an election period, a third party that is a corporation or group uses its internal services to make live voice calls for any purpose relating to the election, including a purpose referred to in any of paragraphs (a) to (e) of the definition in section 348.01, the third party shall, if a script is used, keep a copy of each unique script used and a record of every date on which the script was used, for one year after the end of the election period.
78.1 The Act is amended by adding the following after section 351:
351.1 A third party shall not incur election advertising expenses of a total amount of $500 or more in relation to a general election or a by-election, or, if the election periods of two or more by-elections overlap with each other in whole or in part, in relation to those by-elections, unless
351.2 For greater certainty, for the purposes of subsections 350(1) and (4) and section 351.1 if election advertising is transmitted during an election period, it shall be considered an election advertising expense, regardless of when it was incurred.
81. Section 405.1 of the Act is repealed.
83. Section 405.3 of the Act is renumbered as subsection 405.3(1) and is amended by adding the following:
84. Section 435 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (1):
86. Part 18 of the Act is replaced by the following:
371. No individual shall, in respect of each contribution made under this Division, contribute cash in an amount that exceeds $20.
372. If a registered party, a registered association, a nomination contestant, a candidate or a leadership contestant receives a contribution made in contravention of subsection 367(1) or 368(4) or section 370 or 371, the chief agent of the registered party, the financial agent of the registered association, the official agent of the candidate or the financial agent of the nomination contestant or leadership contestant, as the case may be, shall, within 30 days after becoming aware of the contravention, return the contribution unused to the contributor or, if that is not possible, pay the amount of it — or, in the case of a non-monetary contribution, an amount of money equal to its commercial value — to the Chief Electoral Officer, who shall forward that amount to the Receiver General.
374. No individual shall make a loan to a registered party, a registered association, a nomination contestant, a candidate or a leadership contestant that is made possible by money, property or the services of any person or entity that was provided to that individual for that purpose.
375. An electoral campaign expense of a candidate is an expense reasonably incurred as an incidence of the election, including
377. If a fundraising activity is held for the primary purpose of soliciting a monetary contribution for a registered party, a registered association, a nomination contestant, a candidate or a leadership contestant by way of selling a ticket, the amount of the monetary contribution received is the difference between the price of the ticket and the fair market value of what the ticket entitles the bearer to obtain.
379. Any expenses of a candidate that are incurred to remunerate the candidate’s representatives referred to in subsection 136(1) or 237.1(2) are deemed to be personal expenses of the candidate.
384. Before April 1 in each year, the Chief Electoral Officer shall cause to be published in the Canada Gazette an inflation adjustment factor that is in effect for a period of one year beginning on that date. It shall be a fraction with
386. A leader who has made an application under subsection 385(1) may withdraw it at any time before registration by sending a signed request to that effect to the Chief Electoral Officer.
387. A political party whose leader has made an application under subsection 385(1) becomes eligible for registration if
388. In the period of 30 days after the deregistration of a political party,
391. An eligible party shall, within 30 days after being informed under subsection 389(1) that it is eligible, provide the Chief Electoral Officer with a written report, certified by its leader or chief agent, containing the name and address of any person appointed as its registered agent and any terms and conditions to which the appointment is subject. The Chief Electoral Officer shall, on the registration of the eligible party, register that information in the registry of political parties.
392. Within six months after becoming a registered party, the registered party shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with
394. The Chief Electoral Officer shall maintain a registry of political parties that contains the information referred to in paragraphs 385(2)(a) to (h) and subsections 396(2) and 418(2).
399. A registered party and an eligible party shall obtain from its officers, chief agent and auditor, on appointment, their signed consent to act in that capacity.
401. A registered party or eligible party shall have no more than one chief agent and one auditor at a time.
402. A registered party and an eligible party shall have at least 250 members who are electors.
409. The Chief Electoral Officer shall, effective on the expiry in a general election of the period for the confirmation of nominations under subsection 71(1), deregister a registered party that, at that time, has not endorsed a candidate in that general election.
411. The Chief Electoral Officer shall give notice of a deregistration under section 409 or 410 to the registered party and its chief agent and of the resulting deregistration under section 417 to the registered associations and their financial agents.
412. The Chief Electoral Officer may deregister a registered party if the party fails to provide
413. The Chief Electoral Officer may deregister a registered party if its chief agent fails
414. On application, other than during the election period of a general election, by a registered party to become deregistered, signed by the leader and any two officers of the party, the Chief Electoral Officer may deregister the party.
417. If a registered party is deregistered, its registered associations are also deregistered.
419. A registered party that is deregistered continues to have the obligations of a registered party for the purpose of section 420.
420. The chief agent of a deregistered political party shall, within six months after the day of its deregistration, provide the Chief Electoral Officer with
424. Within six months after a merger
425. The chief agent of a registered party is responsible for administering its financial transactions and for reporting on them in accordance with this Act.
427. A person who has a claim to be paid for a debt of a registered party shall send the invoice or other document evidencing the claim to the registered party or one of its registered agents.
428. If a claim for an expense is evidenced by an invoice or other document that has been sent under section 427, the claim shall be paid within three years after the day on which payment of it is due.
429. A person who has sent an invoice or other document evidencing a claim under section 427 may commence proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover any unpaid amount
434. If the name of the contributor of a contribution of more than $20 to a registered party, or the name or address of a contributor who has made contributions of a total amount of more than $200 to a registered party, is not known, one of the registered party’s registered agents shall, without delay, pay an amount of money equal to the value of the contribution to the Chief Electoral Officer, who shall forward it to the Receiver General.
436. No chief agent of a registered party shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with a document referred to in paragraph 432(1)(a) that
439. No chief agent of a registered party shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with a document referred to in paragraph 437(1)(a) that
The applicant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.
This Act applies to information provided under this subsection as if it were information referred to in paragraphs 385(2)(a) to (h).
447. No electoral district association of a registered party shall, unless it is registered,
449. A registered party may have at most one registered association in an electoral district.
451. Within six months after the day on which it becomes a registered association, the association shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with
452. No financial agent of a registered association shall make a declaration referred to in paragraph 451(b) if the agent knows or ought reasonably to know that the statement referred to in paragraph 451(a) is not complete and accurate.
453. The fiscal period of a registered association is the calendar year.
454. Without delay after becoming registered, a registered association shall, if necessary, adjust its fiscal period so that it ends at the end of the calendar year. The adjusted fiscal period shall not be less than six months or more than 18 months.
455. The Chief Electoral Officer shall maintain a registry of electoral district associations that contains the information referred to in subsections 448(1), 456(2) and 471(2).
459. A registered association shall obtain from its financial agent and auditor, on appointment, their signed consent to act in that capacity.
460. In the event of the death, incapacity, resignation or ineligibility of its financial agent or auditor, or the revocation of the appointment of one, a registered association shall without delay appoint a replacement.
461. A registered association shall have no more than one financial agent and one auditor at a time.
464. On or before May 31 of every year, unless an election campaign is in progress in that electoral district on that date, in which case the date is July 31, a registered association shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with
465. The Chief Electoral Officer may deregister a registered association if the association fails to provide
466. The Chief Electoral Officer may deregister a registered association if its financial agent fails to provide him or her with a document for a fiscal period in accordance with subsection 475.4(1).
472. An electoral district association that is deregistered continues to have the obligations of a registered association for the purpose of section 473.
473. The financial agent of a deregistered electoral district association shall, within six months after the day of its deregistration, provide the Chief Electoral Officer with the documents referred to in subsection 475.4(1) for
474. The financial agent of a registered association is responsible for administering its financial transactions and for reporting on them in accordance with this Act.
475.1 A person who has a claim to be paid for a debt of a registered association shall send the invoice or other document evidencing the claim to the registered association or one of its electoral district agents.
475.2 If a claim for an expense is evidenced by an invoice or other document that has been sent under section 475.1, the claim shall be paid within three years after the day on which payment of it is due.
475.3 A person who has sent an invoice or other document evidencing a claim under section 475.1 may commence proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover any unpaid amount
475.5 If the name of the contributor of a contribution of more than $20 to a registered association, or the name or address of a contributor who has made contributions of a total amount of more than $200 to a registered association, is not known, the registered association’s financial agent shall, without delay, pay an amount of money equal to the value of the contribution to the Chief Electoral Officer, who shall forward it to the Receiver General.
475.7 No financial agent of a registered association shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with a document referred to in paragraph 475.4(1)(a) that
The applicant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.
476. The following definitions apply in this Division.
means the expenses of a personal nature that are reasonably incurred by or on behalf of a nomination contestant in relation to their nomination campaign and includes
« date de désignation »
means the date on which a nomination contest is decided.
476.2 For the purposes of Division 1 of this Part and this Division, a nomination contestant is deemed to have been a nomination contestant from the time they accept a contribution, incur a nomination campaign expense or borrow money under section 373.
476.3 A nomination contestant shall appoint a financial agent before accepting a contribution or incurring a nomination campaign expense.
476.5 A nomination contestant shall obtain from the financial agent, on appointment, their signed consent to act in that capacity.
476.6 In the event of the death, incapacity, resignation or ineligibility of the financial agent, or the revocation of the appointment of one, the nomination contestant shall without delay appoint a replacement.
476.61 A nomination contestant shall have no more than one financial agent at a time.
476.62 No person who is ineligible to be a financial agent of a nomination contestant shall act in that capacity.
476.64 A nomination contestant’s financial agent is responsible for administering the contestant’s financial transactions for their nomination campaign and for reporting on those transactions in accordance with this Act.
476.67 The limit for nomination campaign expenses — other than personal expenses — that is allowed for a nomination contestant in an electoral district is the amount
476.69 A person who has a claim to be paid for a nomination campaign expense shall send the invoice or other document evidencing the claim to the nomination contestant’s financial agent or, if there is no financial agent, to the nomination contestant.
476.71 A contract in relation to a nomination campaign is not enforceable against the nomination contestant unless it was entered into by the contestant personally or by the contestant’s financial agent.
476.73 On the application of a person who has a claim to be paid for a nomination campaign expense in relation to a nomination contestant or to be paid for a loan made to the contestant under section 373, or on the application of the contestant’s financial agent or the contestant, a judge may, on being satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for so doing, by order authorize the contestant’s financial agent to pay the amount claimed if
The applicant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.
476.74 A person who has sent an invoice or other document evidencing a claim under section 476.69, or has a claim for repayment of a loan made to a nomination contestant under section 373, may commence proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover any unpaid amount
The nomination contestant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the proceedings have been commenced.
476.76 If the name of the contributor of a contribution of more than $20 to a nomination contestant, or the name or address of a contributor who has made contributions of a total amount of more than $200 to a nomination contestant, is not known, the nomination contestant’s financial agent shall, without delay, pay an amount of money equal to the value of the contribution to the Chief Electoral Officer, who shall forward it to the Receiver General.
476.78 A nomination contestant shall have no more than one auditor at a time.
476.79 No person who is ineligible to be an auditor of a nomination contestant shall act in that capacity.
The applicant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.
476.88 A nomination contestant may apply to a judge for an order that relieves the contestant from any liability or consequence under this or any other Act of Parliament in relation to an act or omission of the contestant’s financial agent, if the contestant establishes that
The contestant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.
476.9 No nomination contestant and no financial agent of a nomination contestant shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with a document referred to in subsection 476.75(1), (10), (11), (12) or (15) that
476.91 The surplus amount of nomination campaign funds that a nomination contestant receives for a nomination contest is the amount by which the contributions accepted by the financial agent on behalf of the contestant and any other amounts received by the contestant for their nomination campaign that are not repayable are more than the contestant’s nomination campaign expenses paid under this Act and any transfers referred to in paragraph 364(5)(a).
476.93 A nomination contestant’s financial agent shall dispose of surplus nomination campaign funds by transferring them to
477. For the purposes of Division 1 of this Part and this Division, except sections 477.89 to 477.95, a candidate is deemed to have been a candidate from the time they accept a provision of goods or services under section 364, accept a transfer of funds under that section, accept a contribution, borrow money under section 373 or incur an electoral campaign expense referred to in section 375.
477.2 The following persons are ineligible to be an official agent:
477.4 Subject to sections 477.2 and 477.3, a person may be appointed as official agent or auditor for a candidate even if the person is a member of a partnership that has been appointed in accordance with this Act as an auditor for
477.41 A candidate shall obtain from the official agent or auditor, on appointment, their signed consent to act in that capacity.
477.42 In the event of the death, incapacity, resignation or ineligibility of an official agent or an auditor, or the revocation of the appointment of one, the candidate shall without delay appoint a replacement.
477.43 A candidate shall have no more than one official agent and one auditor at a time.
477.45 A candidate’s official agent is responsible for administering the candidate’s financial transactions for their electoral campaign and for reporting on those transactions in accordance with this Act.
477.53 A person who has a claim to be paid for an electoral campaign expense shall send the invoice or other document evidencing the claim to the candidate’s official agent or, if there is no official agent, to the candidate.
477.55 A contract in relation to an electoral campaign is not enforceable against the candidate unless it was entered into by
477.57 On the application of a person who has a claim to be paid for a candidate’s electoral campaign expense or to be paid for a loan made to the candidate under section 373, or on the application of the candidate’s official agent or the candidate, a judge may, on being satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for so doing, by order authorize the candidate’s official agent to pay the amount claimed if
The applicant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.
477.58 A person who has sent an invoice or other document evidencing a claim under section 477.53, or has a claim for repayment of a loan made to a candidate under section 373, may commence proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover any unpaid amount
The candidate shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the proceedings have been commenced.
477.61 If the name of the contributor of a contribution of more than $20 to a candidate, or the name or the address of a contributor who has made contributions of a total amount of more than $200 to a candidate, is not known, the candidate’s official agent shall, without delay, pay an amount of money equal to the value of the contribution to the Chief Electoral Officer, who shall forward it to the Receiver General.
The applicant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.
477.7 A candidate may apply to a judge for an order that relieves the candidate from any liability or consequence under this or any other Act of Parliament in relation to an act or omission of the candidate’s official agent, if the candidate establishes that
The candidate shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.
477.75 On receipt of the documents referred to in subsection 477.59(1), including the auditor’s report, and a copy of the auditor’s invoice for the auditor’s report, the Chief Electoral Officer shall provide the Receiver General with a certificate that sets out the greater of
477.76 On receipt of the certificate, the Receiver General shall pay the amount set out in it to the auditor out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
477.78 If a candidate who was endorsed by a registered party dies within the period beginning at 2:00 p.m. on the fifth day before the closing day for nominations and ending on polling day,
477.79 Division 1 of this Part and this Division apply to electoral campaign expenses of candidates in an electoral district in which a writ is withdrawn under subsection 59(1) or deemed to be withdrawn under subsection 31(3) of the Parliament of Canada Act , except that in such a case
477.82 A candidate’s official agent shall dispose of surplus electoral funds by transferring them
477.85 No registered agent of a registered party, no financial agent of a registered association and no financial agent of a nomination contestant shall transfer funds to a candidate after polling day except to pay claims related to the candidate’s electoral campaign.
477.86 A candidate and their official agent shall use the prescribed forms for official receipts to contributors for the purpose of subsection 127(3) of the Income Tax Act .
477.87 The Chief Electoral Officer shall provide each returning officer with copies of prescribed forms.
477.89 For the purposes of sections 477.9 to 477.95, a candidate is deemed to have become a candidate on the earlier of
It does not include a contribution made by an eligible individual under Division 1 of this Part to the official agent of a candidate that does not exceed the limits set out in that Division, or a provision of goods or services or a transfer of funds under section 364.
, in respect of a candidate, means a person related to the candidate by marriage, common-law partnership, birth, adoption or affinity.
The candidate shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.
477.95 No candidate shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with a statement referred to in subsection 477.9(3) that
478. In this Division, means the expenses of a personal nature that are reasonably incurred by or on behalf of a leadership contestant in relation to their leadership campaign and includes
478.4 The Chief Electoral Officer shall maintain a registry of leadership contestants that contains the information referred to in subsection 478.3(1).
478.6 The following persons are ineligible to be the financial agent or a leadership campaign agent of a leadership contestant:
478.62 A leadership contestant shall obtain from the financial agent or auditor, on appointment, their signed consent to act in that capacity.
478.63 In the event of the death, incapacity, resignation or ineligibility of the financial agent or auditor, or the revocation of the appointment of one, the leadership contestant shall without delay appoint a replacement.
478.64 A leadership contestant shall have no more than one financial agent and one auditor at a time.
478.67 A leadership contestant who withdraws from the leadership contest shall file with the Chief Electoral Officer a statement in writing to that effect signed by the contestant and indicating the date of the withdrawal. The Chief Electoral Officer shall indicate the withdrawal in the registry of leadership contestants.
478.68 A registered party that withdraws its acceptance of a leadership contestant shall file with the Chief Electoral Officer a statement in writing to that effect signed by the party’s chief agent and indicating the date of the withdrawal. The Chief Electoral Officer shall register the withdrawal of acceptance in the registry of leadership contestants.
478.69 A leadership contestant who withdraws in accordance with section 478.67 or whose acceptance is withdrawn in accordance with section 478.68 is relieved of the obligation to provide returns under section 478.81 for any period after the withdrawal.
478.7 The Chief Electoral Officer shall, on becoming aware that a leadership contestant of a registered party has failed to comply with any requirement under this Division, notify the party accordingly.
478.71 A leadership contestant’s financial agent is responsible for administering the contestant’s financial transactions for their leadership campaign and for reporting on those transactions in accordance with this Act.
478.74 A person who has a claim to be paid for a leadership campaign expense shall send the invoice or other document evidencing the claim to the leadership contestant’s financial agent or, if there is no financial agent, to the leadership contestant.
478.76 A contract in relation to a leadership campaign is not enforceable against the leadership contestant unless it was entered into by the contestant personally or by one of the contestant’s leadership campaign agents.
478.78 On the application of a person who has a claim to be paid for a leadership campaign expense in relation to a leadership contestant or to be paid for a loan made to the contestant under section 373, or on the application of the contestant’s financial agent or the contestant, a judge may, on being satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for so doing, by order authorize the contestant’s financial agent to pay the amount claimed if
The applicant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.
478.79 A person who has sent an invoice or other document evidencing a claim under section 478.74, or has a claim for repayment of a loan made to a leadership contestant under section 373, may commence proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover any unpaid amount
The leadership contestant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the proceedings have been commenced.
478.82 If the name of the contributor of a contribution of more than $20 to a leadership contestant, or the name or address of a contributor who has made contributions of a total amount of more than $200 to a leadership contestant, is not known, the leadership contestant’s financial agent shall, without delay, pay an amount of money equal to the value of the contribution to the Chief Electoral Officer, who shall forward it to the Receiver General.
The applicant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.
478.91 A leadership contestant may apply to a judge for an order that relieves the contestant from any liability or consequence under this or any other Act of Parliament in relation to an act or omission of the contestant’s financial agent, if the contestant establishes that
The contestant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.
478.93 No leadership contestant and no financial agent of a leadership contestant shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with a document referred to in subsection 478.8(1), (10), (11), (12) or (15) that
478.94 The surplus amount of leadership campaign funds that a leadership contestant receives for a leadership contest is the amount by which the sum of contributions accepted by the leadership campaign agents on behalf of the contestant, amounts referred to in subsection 365(3) and any other amounts received by the contestant for their leadership campaign that are not repayable is more than the sum of the contestant’s leadership campaign expenses paid under this Act and any transfers referred to in paragraph 364(5)(b).
478.96 The leadership contestant’s financial agent shall dispose of surplus leadership campaign funds by transferring them to the registered party that is holding the leadership contest or a registered association of that party.
88. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 480:
480.1 Every person is guilty of an offence who, with intent to mislead, falsely represents themselves to be, or causes anyone to falsely represent themselves to be,
89. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 482:
482.1 Every person is guilty of an offence who obstructs or hinders — or knowingly makes, either orally or in writing, a false or misleading statement to — the Commissioner of Canada Elections or any person acting under his or her direction while the Commissioner or the person acting under his or her direction is exercising or performing powers, duties or functions conferred or imposed on the Commissioner under this Act.
90. Subsection 484(3) of the Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (b):
92. Subsection 487(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:
94. Paragraph 490(a) of the Act is replaced by the following:
94.1 Subsection 491(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:
95. Paragraph 495(4)(d) of the Act is repealed.
96. The Act is amended by adding the following after section 495:
98. Paragraph 497(3)(f.13) of the Act is replaced by the following:
99. Section 497 of the Act is replaced by the following: