Bennett Jones
Written by Milos Barutciski, David Bursey, Sharon G.K. Singh and James Struthers
On November 30, 2017, amendments to the Election Act (EA), and the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act (LECFA), came into force, which prohibit unions and corporations from contributing to provincial and municipal elections, among other changes (Amendments).
The notable changes to the EA and LECFA include the following:
| Amendment | EA | LECFA |
| Pay per Charge Events |
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| Political and Campaign Contributions |
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| Sponsorship Contributions |
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| Political and Campaign Contribution Limits |
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| Excess Contributions |
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| Expense Limits |
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| Third-Party Sponsors |
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| Third-Party Sponsorship Limits |
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| Permissible Loans |
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| Penalties |
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| Application and In-Force Dates |
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Banning corporate and union contributions in government elections helps respond to criticism that organizations unduly influence government policymaking. Organizations or individuals that breach the campaign finance laws may be fined up to $20,000 and imprisoned under the LECFA, and may be fined up to $10,000, imprisoned, and prohibited from holding office under the EA.
Organizations that have made contributions to the 2018 provincial or municipal elections should seek legal advice on whether contributions conform to the new campaign finance laws. They should also update their governance policies, and inform the relevant people in their organization about the Amendments.