Political Financing Handbook for Registered Parties and Chief Agents (EC 20231) – June 2017 – DRAFT guideline OGI 2017-03

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Table of Contents

• About This Document
  • Introduction to the handbook
  • What's new in this release?
  • Contact information
• 1. Reference Tables and Timelines
  • Becoming a registered political party
  • Merger of registered parties
  • Voluntary and involuntary deregistration of a registered party
  • Reporting deadlines for key events and during the fiscal year
  • Role and appointment process—party leader
  • Role and appointment process—party officers
  • Role and appointment process—chief agent
  • Role and appointment process—registered agents
  • Role and appointment process—auditor
  • Limits on contributions, loans and loan guarantees
  • Transfers—types and rules
• 2. Contributions
  • What is a contribution?
  • What is commercial value?
  • Who can contribute?
  • Limits on contributions, loans and loan guarantees to a registered party
  • Volunteer labour is not a contribution
  • Party convention or leadership convention fees are contributions
  • Sponsorship or advertising at a political event is a contribution
  • Accepting and recording contributions
  • Issuing contribution receipts
  • Determining the date a contribution is made
  • Recording anonymous contributions
  • Remitting anonymous contributions that cannot be accepted
  • Ineligible contributions
  • Returning or remitting ineligible contributions
• 3. Loans
  • Getting a loan
  • Types of loans
  • Loan interest
  • Repaying and reporting unpaid loans
• 4. Transfers
  • What is a transfer?
  • Transfers of expenses are prohibited
  • Transfers sent to the registered party
  • Transfers sent by the registered party
• 5. Fundraising
  • Determining the contribution amount when contributors receive a benefit
  • Fundraising expenses
• Typical fundraising activities
  • Sale of branded goods
  • Auctions
  • Ticketed fundraising events
  • Non-ticketed events
  • Draws
• 6. Registered Party's Expenses
  • What are the registered party's expenses?
  • Who can incur expenses?
  • Who can pay expenses?
  • Non-monetary contributions and transfers are also expenses or assets
  • Invoices
  • Auditor's fee
  • Repaying and reporting unpaid claims
• 7. Election Expenses
  • What are election expenses?
  • Limits on election expenses
  • Limits on election expenses for by-elections
  • Reimbursement of election expenses
• Typical election expenses
  • Election advertising
  • Broadcasting time
  • Voter contact calling services
  • Rental of a temporary party office
  • Surveys
  • Travel expenses
  • Compensation
• Use of existing resources
  • Office expenses
  • Intellectual property assets of the party
  • Pre-existing property
  • Websites
  • Used signs
  • Billboards
• 8. Working with Other Entities
  • Property or services provided to another political entity
  • Expenses cannot be transferred
• Typical shared activities
  • Leader's tour
  • Campaigning by senators, ministers or another candidate
• 9. Leadership and Nomination Contest Finances
  • Leadership and nomination contest rules
  • Leadership and nomination contest fees
  • What is a directed contribution?
  • Statement of directed contributions
  • Contributions received during ticketed fundraising events
• 10. Reporting
  • Reporting timeline
  • Additional reporting if corrections or revisions are required
  • Submitting reports to Elections Canada
  • Requesting a filing deadline extension

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