Right.
Evidence of meeting #125 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was election.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Evidence of meeting #125 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was election.
A recording is available from Parliament.
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
I think we've met the objective of what we're trying to do with that. I take your point.
6:45 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
It's only that we're relying on them to do it as opposed to having—
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
Yes, very much so. You're requiring everybody to turn everything over to Elections Canada. It's the same standard, really, though.
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
6:45 p.m.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
Mr. Chair, this amendment would add two new subsections to section 349.5 of the bill, which currently requires third parties to add a tag line on their partisan advertising messages.
I would like to point out that in part 17 of the act, third parties are defined very broadly. Some obligations under the act apply to all third parties and some other obligations apply only to those third parties who reach certain thresholds.
For example, for the pre-election period and the election period, the registration threshold with Elections Canada is set at $500. A third party, which means basically any Canadian citizen, except the candidate or a political party, who makes a partisan advertising message, even if that person has not reached their registration threshold of $500, would then need to send a copy of the advertising message to Elections Canada within 10 days of its transmission.
I think this covers a much broader group of third parties than other provisions of the act do.
6:45 p.m.
NDP
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
6:45 p.m.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
Of course I won't tell you that, Mr. Chair.
6:45 p.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
6:45 p.m.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
Mr. Chair, if I may, I will not weigh in on the debate, but I will just explain what the thresholds are.
They are the same in both the pre-election and election periods. For up to $500, the third party doesn't have to register with Elections Canada. For higher than $500, they have to register with Elections Canada, open a bank account and then present a financial statement after the election. If during the pre-election period or the election period they reach the $10,000 threshold—either $10,000 in contributions or $10,000 in partisan advertising expenses, election advertising expenses, partisan activity expenses or election survey expenses—then they have to provide one preliminary....
What do we call that?
6:45 p.m.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
They have to provide a first interim financial return upon reaching that threshold, then a second interim financial return on September 15 during a fixed election year. Then there is one other Liberal motion that would also impose a third interim financial report three weeks before polling day and a fourth interim financial report one week before polling day.
This is the kind of reporting scheme that applies currently under the act and under Bill C-76.
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
David Graham Liberal Laurentides—Labelle, QC
How onerous is the financial report? If you spend $600, you send the receipt and you're done, right?
6:45 p.m.
NDP
Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC
[Inaudible—Editor] reporting's very difficult if you only—
6:45 p.m.
Liberal
6:45 p.m.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
I haven't looked at the form recently, but the bank account requirement would apply to every third party that reaches $500.
6:45 p.m.
LCdr Jean-François Morin
Yes, the bank account requirement would apply to every third party that reaches the $500 threshold. So, there are a few associated costs with being a third party that is required to register.
