Canada Elections Act

Part 18

Division 5

Nomination Contest Report and Financial
Administration of Nomination
Contestants

Nomination Contest Report

Definitions

478.01 The definitions in this section apply in this Division.

"personal expenses"
« dépense personnelle »

"personal expenses" means the expenses that are reasonably incurred by or on behalf of a nomination contestant in relation to a nomination campaign and include

"selection date"
« date de désignation »

"selection date" means the date on which a nomination contest is decided.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Notice of nomination contest

478.02 (1) When a nomination contest is held, the registered party, or the registered association if the contest was held by the registered association, shall, within 30 days after the selection date, file with the Chief Electoral Officer a report setting out

Notice

(2) The Chief Electoral Officer shall, in the manner that he or she considers appropriate, communicate to each nomination contestant the information related to that contestant that was reported under subsection (1).

Publication

(3) The Chief Electoral Officer shall, in the manner that he or she considers appropriate, publish a notice containing the information referred to in subsection (1).

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Deeming

478.03 For the purposes of this Part, a nomination contestant is deemed to have been a nomination contestant from the time he or she accepts a contribution or incurs a nomination campaign expense.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Duty to appoint financial agent

478.04 No nomination contestant shall, in relation to his or her nomination campaign, accept contributions or incur nomination campaign expenses unless he or she has appointed a financial agent.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Agents – ineligible persons

478.05 (1) The following persons are not eligible to be the financial agent of a nomination contestant:

Where member of partnership appointed as agent

(2) A person may be appointed as agent for a nomination contestant notwithstanding that the person is a member of a partnership that has been appointed as an auditor, in accordance with the Act for the registered party.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Consent

478.06 A nomination contestant shall obtain from the financial agent, on appointment, their signed consent to so act.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Replacement of financial agent

478.07 In the event of the death, incapacity, resignation or revocation of the appointment of the financial agent, a nomination contestant shall without delay appoint a replacement.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Only one financial agent

478.08 A nomination contestant shall have no more than one financial agent at a time.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Prohibition – agents

478.09 No person who is not eligible to be the financial agent of a nomination contestant shall so act.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Changes in reported information

478.1 (1) Within 30 days after a change in the information referred to in paragraph 478.02(1)(c), a nomination contestant shall report the change in writing to the Chief Electoral Officer.

New financial agent

(2) A report under subsection (1) that involves the replacement of the financial agent of the nomination contestant must include a copy of the signed consent under section 478.06.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Financial Administration of Nomination
Contestants

Powers, Duties and Functions of Financial Agent

Duty of financial agent

478.11 The financial agent of a nomination contestant is responsible for administering the contestant's financial transactions for his or her nomination campaign and for reporting on those transactions in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Bank account

478.12 (1) The financial agent of a nomination contestant shall open, for the sole purpose of the contestant's nomination campaign, a separate bank account in a Canadian financial institution as defined in section 2 of the Bank Act, or in an authorized foreign bank as defined in that section, that is not subject to the restrictions and requirements referred to in subsection 524(2) of that Act.

Account holder name

(2) The account must name the account holder as follows: "(name of financial agent), financial agent".

Payments and receipts

(3) All financial transactions of the nomination contestant in relation to the contestant's nomination campaign that involve the payment or receipt of money are to be paid from or deposited to the account.

Closure of bank account

(4) After the selection date, the financial agent of a nomination contestant shall close the account once any unpaid claims or surplus nomination campaign funds have been dealt with in accordance with this Act.

Final statement of bank account

(5) The financial agent shall, on closing the account, provide the Chief Electoral Officer with the final statement of the account.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Prohibition – accepting contributions

478.13 (1) No person, other than the financial agent of a nomination contestant, shall accept contributions to the contestant's nomination campaign.

Accepting certain contributions prohibited

(2) No financial agent of a nomination contestant shall accept a transfer from a registered party or registered association.

Prohibition – paying nomination campaign expenses

(3) No person or entity, other than the financial agent of a nomination contestant, shall pay nomination campaign expenses, other than personal expenses, of the contestant.

Prohibition – incurring nomination campaign expenses

(4) No person or entity, other than a nomination contestant or his or her financial agent, shall incur nomination campaign expenses of the contestant.

Prohibition – contestant's personal expenses

(5) No person, other than a nomination contestant or his or her financial agent, shall pay the contestant's personal expenses.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Limits on expenses

478.14 The limit for nomination campaign expenses – other than personal expenses as defined in section 478.01 – that is allowed for a nomination contestant in an electoral district is the amount

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Prohibition – expenses more than maximum

478.15 (1) No nomination contestant or financial agent of a nomination contestant shall incur nomination campaign expenses – other than personal expenses as defined in section 478.01 – in an amount that is more than the limit allowed for that electoral district under section 478.14.

Prohibition – collusion

(2) No person or entity shall

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Recovery of Claims

Claim for payment

478.16 (1) A person who has a claim to be paid for an expense in relation to a nomination campaign shall send the invoice or other document evidencing the claim to

Bar to recovery

(2) A claimant is barred from recovery of a claim to be paid if the invoice or other document evidencing the claim is sent more than three months after the selection date.

Deceased claimant

(3) If a claimant dies before the end of the three-month period, a new three-month period begins, for the purposes of subsection (1), on the day on which the claimant's legal representative becomes entitled to act for the claimant.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Payment within four months

478.17 (1) A claim for nomination campaign expenses that has been sent in accordance with section 478.16 must be paid within four months after the selection date, or in the case referred to in subsection 478.23(7), the polling day.

Exceptions

(2) The requirement to pay a claim within four months does not apply to a claim in respect of which

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Unenforceable contracts

478.18 A contract involving a nomination campaign expense in relation to a nomination contestant is not enforceable against the contestant unless entered into by the contestant personally or by the contestant's financial agent.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Irregular claims or payments – Chief Electoral Officer

478.19 (1) On the written application of a person with a claim to be paid for a nomination campaign expense in relation to a nomination contestant or of the contestant's financial agent or the contestant in relation to such a claim, the Chief Electoral Officer may, on being satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for so doing, in writing authorize the payment, through the contestant's financial agent, of the amount claimed if

Conditions

(2) The Chief Electoral Officer may impose any term or condition that he or she considers appropriate on a payment authorized under subsection (1).

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Irregular claims and payments – judge

478.2 On the application of a person with a claim to be paid for a nomination campaign expense in relation to a nomination contestant or on the application of the contestant's financial agent or the contestant, as the case may be, a judge who is competent to conduct a recount may, on being satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for so doing, by order authorize the payment, through the contestant's financial agent, of the amount claimed if

The applicant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Proceedings to recover payment

478.21 (1) A person who has sent a claim in accordance with section 478.16 may commence proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover any unpaid amount

Payment deemed properly made

(2) An amount paid by the financial agent of a nomination contestant as a result of proceedings referred to in subsection (1) is deemed to have been paid in accordance with this Act.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Deemed contributions

478.22 (1) An unpaid claim mentioned in a return referred to in subsection 478.23(1) that remains unpaid, in whole or in part, on the day that is 18 months after the selection date – or in the case referred to in subsection 478.23(7), after the polling day – is deemed to be a contribution of the unpaid amount to the nomination contestant made as of the day on which the expense was incurred.

When no deemed contribution

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to an unpaid claim that, on the day referred to in that subsection,

Notice

(3) A nomination contestant or a financial agent who believes that any of paragraphs (2)(a) to (d) applies to a liability to pay an amount shall so notify the Chief Electoral Officer before the day referred to in subsection (1).

Publication of deemed contributions

(4) As soon as practicable after the day referred to in subsection (1), the Chief Electoral Officer shall, in any manner that he or she considers appropriate, publish the list of claims that are deemed under subsection (1) to be contributions.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Return on Financing and Expenses in a Nomination Campaign

Nomination campaign return

478.23 (1) The financial agent of a nomination contestant who has accepted contributions of $1,000 or more in total or incurred nomination campaign expenses of $1,000 or more in total shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with the following in respect of a nomination campaign:

Contents of return

(2) The nomination campaign return shall include the following in respect of the nomination contestant:

Supporting documents

(3) Together with the nomination campaign return, the financial agent of a nomination contestant shall provide to the Chief Electoral Officer documents evidencing expenses set out in the return, including bank statements, deposit slips, cancelled cheques and the contestant's written statement concerning personal expenses referred to in subsection 478.31(1).

Order for additional supporting documents

(4) If the Chief Electoral Officer is of the opinion that the documents provided under subsection (3) are not sufficient, the Chief Electoral Officer may require the financial agent to provide by a specified date any additional documents that are necessary to comply with that subsection.

Loans

(5) For the purpose of subsection (2), other than paragraph (2)(i), a contribution includes a loan.

Period for providing documents

(6) The documents referred to in subsection (1) must be provided to the Chief Electoral Officer within four months after the selection date.

Exception

(7) Despite subsection (6), if the selection date of a nomination contest falls within an election period for that electoral district or the 30 days before it, a nomination contestant may submit the documents referred to in subsection (1) within the period for candidates referred to in subsection 451(4).

Declaration of nomination contestant

(8) A nomination contestant shall, within four months after the selection date, send to his or her financial agent the declaration referred to in paragraph (1)(d).

Death of nomination contestant

(9) If a nomination contestant dies without having sent the declaration within the period referred to in subsection (8),

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57; S.C. 2006, c. 9, s. 54.

When contributions forwarded to Receiver General

478.24 The financial agent of a nomination contestant shall, without delay, pay an amount of money equal to the value of a contribution received by the contestant to the Chief Electoral Officer, who shall forward it to the Receiver General, if the name of the contributor of a contribution of more than $20, or the name or the address of the contributor having made contributions of a total amount of more than $200, is not known.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57; S.C. 2006, c. 9, s. 55.

Appointment of auditor

478.25 (1) A nomination contestant who has accepted contributions of $10,000 or more in total or incurred nomination campaign expenses of $10,000 or more in total must appoint an auditor without delay.

Eligibility criteria

(2) The following are eligible to be an auditor for a nomination contestant:

Ineligibility criteria

(3) The following persons are not eligible to be an auditor for a nomination contestant:

Notification of appointment

(4) Every nomination contestant, without delay after an auditor is appointed, must provide the Chief Electoral Officer with the auditor's name, address, telephone number and occupation and a signed declaration by the auditor accepting the appointment.

New auditor

(5) If a nomination contestant's auditor is replaced, the contestant must, without delay, provide the Chief Electoral Officer with the new auditor's name, address, telephone number and occupation and a signed declaration accepting the appointment.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Only one auditor

478.26 A nomination contestant shall have no more than one auditor at a time.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Prohibition – auditors

478.27 No person who is not eligible to be an auditor of a nomination contestant shall so act.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Auditor's report

478.28 (1) An auditor of a nomination contestant appointed in accordance with subsection 478.25(1) shall, as soon as practicable after the selection date, report to the nomination contestant's financial agent on the nomination campaign return for that campaign and shall, in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, make any examination that will enable the auditor to give an opinion in the report as to whether the return presents fairly the information contained in the financial records on which it is based.

Statement

(2) The auditor's report shall include any statement that the auditor considers necessary if

Right of access

(3) The auditor shall have access at any reasonable time to all documents of the nomination contestant, and may require the contestant and his or her financial agent to provide any information or explanation that, in the auditor's opinion, is necessary to enable the auditor to prepare the report.

Ineligible to prepare report

(4) A person referred to in subsection 478.25(3) who is a partner or an associate of an auditor of a nomination contestant or who is an employee of that auditor, or of the firm in which that auditor is a partner or associate, may not participate, other than in the manner referred to in subsection (3), in the preparation of the auditor's report.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Extended period for nomination contestants outside Canada

478.29 (1) Despite subsection 478.23(6), a nomination contestant who is outside Canada when the other documents referred to in subsection 478.23(1) are provided shall, within 14 days after returning to Canada, provide the Chief Electoral Officer with the nomination contestant's declaration concerning his or her nomination campaign return referred to in paragraph 478.23(1)(d).

No extended period for financial agent

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to excuse a nomination contestant's financial agent from complying with his or her obligations under this Act to prepare the return on the contestant's nomination campaign expenses and make a declaration concerning it referred to in paragraph 478.23(1)(c).

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Updating financial reporting documents

478.3 (1) After the period referred to in subsection 478.23(6) or (7), as the case may be, the nomination contestant's financial agent shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with an updated version of any document referred to in subsection 478.23(1) that relates to a claim involving

When no update for audit required

(2) If the matters dealt with in the updated versions of the documents have been subject to an audit under section 478.28, an updated version of the auditor's report need not be provided.

Period for providing update

(3) The nomination contestant's financial agent shall provide an updated version of a document referred to in subsection (1) within 30 days after making a payment that is dealt with in the updated version.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57; S.C. 2004, c. 24, s. 20.

Statement of personal expenses

478.31 (1) A nomination contestant shall, within three months after the selection date, send to his or her financial agent a written statement in the prescribed form that

Death of contestant

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a nomination contestant who dies without having sent the written statement referred to in that subsection before the end of the three-month period referred to in it.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Corrections and Extended Reporting Periods

Minor corrections – Chief Electoral Officer

478.32 (1) The Chief Electoral Officer may correct a document referred to in subsection 478.23(1) or 478.3(1), if the correction does not materially affect its substance.

Corrections at request of Chief Electoral Officer

(2) The Chief Electoral Officer may in writing request the nomination contestant or his or her financial agent to correct, within a specified period, a document referred to in subsection 478.23(1) or 478.3(1).

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Extension or correction – Chief Electoral Officer

478.33 (1) The Chief Electoral Officer, on the written application of a nomination contestant or his or her financial agent, may authorize

Deadline

(2) An application may be made

Grounds

(3) The Chief Electoral Officer may not authorize an extension or correction unless he or she is satisfied by the evidence submitted by the applicant that the circumstances giving rise to the application arose by reason of

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Extension or correction – judge

478.34 (1) A nomination contestant or his or her financial agent may apply to a judge who is competent to conduct a recount for an order

The applicant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer of the application.

Deadline

(2) An application may be made

Grounds

(3) A judge may not grant an order unless he or she is satisfied that the circumstances giving rise to the application arose by reason of one of the factors referred to in subsection 478.33(3).

Contents of order

(4) An order under subsection (1) may require that the applicant satisfy any condition that the judge considers necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Refusal or failure of financial agent

478.35 (1) A judge dealing with an application under section 478.34 or 478.36 who is satisfied that a nomination contestant or a financial agent has not provided the documents referred to in subsection 478.23(1) in accordance with this Act because of a refusal by, or a failure of, the financial agent or a predecessor of the financial agent shall, by order served personally, require the financial agent or that predecessor to appear before the judge.

Show cause orders

(2) The judge shall, unless the financial agent or predecessor on his or her appearance shows cause why an order should not be issued, order in writing that the agent or predecessor

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Recourse of contestant for fault of financial agent

478.36 A nomination contestant may apply to a judge who is competent to conduct a recount for an order that relieves the contestant from any liability or consequence under this or any other Act of Parliament in relation to an act or omission of the contestant's financial agent, if the contestant establishes that

The contestant or his or her financial agent shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Destruction of documents – judge

478.37 (1) A nomination contestant or his or her financial agent may apply to a judge who is competent to conduct a recount for an order relieving the financial agent from the obligation to provide a document referred to in subsection 478.23(1) or 478.3(1). The contestant or financial agent shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.

Grounds

(2) The judge may not grant the order unless he or she is satisfied that the applicant cannot provide the documents because of their destruction by a superior force, including a flood, fire or other disaster.

Date of relief

(3) For the purposes of this Act, the applicant is relieved from the obligation referred to in subsection (1) on the date of the order.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Prohibition – false, misleading or incomplete returns

478.38 No nomination contestant and no financial agent of a nomination contestant shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with a document referred to in subsection 478.23(1) or 478.3(1) that

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Surplus of Nomination Campaign Funds

Surplus of nomination campaign funds

478.39 The surplus amount of nomination campaign funds that a nomination contestant receives for a nomination contest is the amount by which the contributions accepted by the financial agent on behalf of the contestant and any other amounts received by the contestant for his or her nomination campaign that are not repayable are more than the contestant's nomination campaign expenses paid under this Act and any transfers referred to in paragraph 404.2(3)(b).

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Notice of assessment and estimate of surplus campaign funds

478.4 (1) If the Chief Electoral Officer estimates that a nomination contestant has a surplus of nomination campaign funds, the Chief Electoral Officer shall issue a notice of the estimated amount of the surplus to the contestant's financial agent.

Disposition of surplus by financial agent

(2) The financial agent of a nomination contestant who has a surplus of nomination campaign funds but has not received a notice of estimated surplus under subsection (1) shall dispose of that estimated surplus within 60 days after the provision of the contestant's nomination campaign return.

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Period for disposal of surplus funds

478.41 (1) The financial agent of a nomination contestant shall dispose of a surplus of nomination campaign funds within 60 days after receiving the notice of estimated surplus.

Remittance of surplus

(2) Surplus nomination campaign funds must be transferred to

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.

Notice of disposal of surplus

478.42 (1) The financial agent of a nomination contestant shall, within seven days after disposing of the contestant's surplus nomination campaign funds, notify the Chief Electoral Officer in the prescribed form of the amount and date of the disposal and to whom the surplus was transferred.

Publication

(2) As soon as practicable after the disposal of a nomination contestant's surplus nomination campaign funds, the Chief Electoral Officer shall, in any manner that he or she considers appropriate, publish a notice referred to in subsection (1).

S.C. 2003, c. 19, s. 57.



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