Mr. Speaker, June 3 is a day Canadians will want to watch. According to the Canada Elections Act, loans taken out during a leadership race must be paid back within 18 months or they become illegal donations.
June 3 is the deadline for the Liberals, however, there is some speculation that Elections Canada might extend this deadline for them. When financing their leadership campaigns, the Liberal leader and other Liberal candidates received millions of dollars in loans from wealthy and powerful friends.
Elections Canada would be setting an unusual precedent if it lets any of the Liberal leadership candidates extend their loans past June 3. All Canadians are watching.
Will the Liberal leadership contestants disregard contribution limits and break the law by not paying back the loans, or will Elections Canada give special treatment to the Liberal Party by extending the deadline?