Mr. Speaker, next week Canadians will be watching to see if Elections Canada will give special treatment to the Liberal leader and other Liberal leadership candidates by extending their loan repayment deadline. The Liberals vying for the party's top job took in millions of dollars in loans from wealthy individuals to finance their campaigns during the latest Liberal leadership race.
Candidates may receive loans during a leadership race. However, the Canada Elections Act states that candidates must pay back the loan within 18 months. The loan becomes an illegal donation if it is not paid back by the deadline. The 18 month deadline is now only four days away. That gives the former Liberal leadership candidates, including the current leader, four days to pay back all their loans.
Will the Liberal leader and other leadership contestants break the law by ignoring the deadline? Will Elections Canada give special treatment to the Liberal Party?