Political Financing Handbook for Registered Parties and Chief Agents (EC 20231) – June 2021

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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
  • Activities conducted by others in coordination with the party may be contributions
  • Accepting and recording contributions
  • Accepting contributions of cryptocurrency
  • Issuing contribution receipts
  • Determining the date a contribution is made
  • Recording anonymous contributions
  • Remitting anonymous contributions that cannot be accepted
  • Ineligible contributions
  • Returning ineligible or non-compliant contributions
  • Collecting online contributions on behalf of candidates
• 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
  • Regulated fundraising events
• Typical fundraising activities
  • Sale of branded goods
  • Auctions
  • Ticketed fundraising events
  • Other ticketed events
  • Non-ticketed events
  • Draws
• 6. Registered Party's Expenses
  • What are the registered party's expenses?
  • Non-monetary contributions and transfers are also expenses or assets
  • Who can incur expenses?
  • Who can pay expenses?
  • Invoices
  • Auditor's fees
  • Repaying and reporting unpaid claims
• 7. Partisan Advertising Expenses for the Pre-election Period
  • What is partisan advertising?
  • What qualifies as partisan advertising on the Internet?
  • Partisan advertising expenses
  • Limit on partisan advertising expenses
  • Partisan advertising conducted by a registered party
  • Partisan advertising conducted by an electoral district association to promote or oppose a party
• 8. Election Expenses
  • What are election expenses?
  • Limits on election expenses
  • Limits on election expenses for by-elections
• Typical election expenses
  • Traditional election advertising
  • Election signs
  • Election advertising on the Internet
  • Websites and web content
  • Broadcasting time
  • Voter contact calling services
  • Mass text messaging
  • Rental of a temporary party office
  • Surveys
  • Party leader's travel expenses
  • Campaign workers and related expenses
  • High-profile campaigners and invited guests
  • Replacement or repair of damaged property
  • Communications during a by-election
• Use of existing resources
  • Office expenses
  • Intellectual property assets of the party
  • Capital assets
  • Used signs
  • Billboards
• 9. Accessibility Expenses
  • What are accessibility expenses?
  • What are not accessibility expenses?
• Typical accessibility expenses
  • Accessible websites
  • Sign language interpretation
  • Communication products in adapted or alternative formats
  • Construction and renovation
• 10. Working with Other Entities
  • Property or services provided to another political entity
  • Expenses cannot be transferred
• Typical shared activities
  • Leader's tour
  • Campaigning by a parliamentarian or a candidate
• 11. Interacting with Third Parties in the Pre-election and Election Periods
  • What is a third party?
  • What is collusion?
  • Prohibition on colluding with third parties in relation to a pre-election period
  • Prohibition on colluding with third parties in relation to an election period
  • What is collusion for the purpose of influencing a third party's regulated activities?
• 12. 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
• 13. Reporting
  • Reporting timeline
  • Additional reporting if corrections or revisions are required
  • Submitting reports to Elections Canada
  • Requesting a filing deadline extension
• 14. Reimbursements
  • Who is eligible for a reimbursement?
  • How is the reimbursement calculated?

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