Figure 10 – Event-Based and Annual Expenses of Regulated Federal Political Entities, 2003-2014

This bar graph shows expenses resulting from an event that is an election and by-election for registered parties and candidates and a leadership contest and a nomination contest. The graph compares these expenses to the annual expenses of registered parties and their EDAs for the period 2003 to 2014. Note that the event-based expenses related to nomination contests and leadership contests from 2000 to 2003 are unknown and not included in this graph. As well, the annual expenses of EDAs in 2003 are unknown and not included in this graph.

The X-axis of this chart demarks the value of expenses in millions of dollars, begins at zero and is divided into two sections. Data for event-based expenses extend to the left, the highest data point being $136.6 million in 2006, and data for annual expenses extend to the right, the highest data point being $84.4 million in 2008. The Y-axis demarks the years 2003 to 2014.

The amounts of annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs and the event-based expenses of registered parties and candidates, leadership contestants and nomination contestants by year from 2003 to 2014 in millions of dollars are:

2003:
Annual expenses of registered parties - $49.7
Annual expenses of EDAs - unknown
Total annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs - $49.7
Election related expenses of registered parties and candidates - $1.0
Expenses of leadership contestants - unknown
Expenses of nomination contestants - unknown
Total event-based expenses - $1.0

2004:
Annual expenses of registered parties - $46.1
Annual expenses of EDAs - $16.6
Total annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs - $62.7
Election related expenses of registered parties and candidates - $123.3
Expenses of leadership contestants - $0.1
Expenses of nomination contestants - $2.5
Total event-based expenses - $125.9

2005:
Annual expenses of registered parties - $55.6
Annual expenses of EDAs - $17.0
Total annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs - $72.6
Election related expenses of registered parties and candidates - $0.3
Expenses of leadership contestants - $0.0
Expenses of nomination contestants - $0.7
Total event-based expenses - $1.0

2006:
Annual expenses of registered parties - $62.7
Annual expenses of EDAs - $11.3
Total annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs - $74.0
Election related expenses of registered parties and candidates - $122.6
Expenses of leadership contestants - $13.9
Expenses of nomination contestants - $0.1
Total event-based expenses - $136.6

2007:
Annual expenses of registered parties - $61.9
Annual expenses of EDAs - $14.1
Total annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs - $76.0
Election related expenses of registered parties and candidates - $1.2
Expenses of leadership contestants - $0.0
Expenses of nomination contestants - $0.7
Total event-based expenses - $1.9

2008:
Annual expenses of registered parties - $66.7
Annual expenses of EDAs - $17.7
Total annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs - $84.4
Election related expenses of registered parties and candidates - $124.6
Expenses of leadership contestants - $0.0
Expenses of nomination contestants - $0.2
Total event-based expenses - $124.8

2009:
Annual expenses of registered parties - $63.9
Annual expenses of EDAs - $13.8
Total annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs - $77.7
Election related expenses of registered parties and candidates - $1.5
Expenses of leadership contestants - $1.0
Expenses of nomination contestants - $0.4
Total event-based expenses - $2.9

2010:
Annual expenses of registered parties - $52.6
Annual expenses of EDAs - $13.3
Total annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs - $65.9
Election related expenses of registered parties and candidates - $1.0
Expenses of leadership contestants - $0.0
Expenses of nomination contestants - $0.1
Total event-based expenses - $1.1

2011:
Annual expenses of registered parties - $61.5
Annual expenses of EDAs - $16.6
Total annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs - $78.1
Election related expenses of registered parties and candidates - $125.7
Expenses of leadership contestants - $0.1
Expenses of nomination contestants - $0.2
Total event-based expenses - $126.0

2012:
Annual expenses of registered parties - $55.5
Annual expenses of EDAs - $9.7
Total annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs - $65.2
Election related expenses of registered parties and candidates - $1.8
Expenses of leadership contestants - $2.7
Expenses of nomination contestants - $0.1
Total event-based expenses - $4.6

2013:
Annual expenses of registered parties - $55.3
Annual expenses of EDAs - $9.8
Total annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs - $65.1
Election related expenses of registered parties and candidates - $2.0
Expenses of leadership contestants - $3.6
Expenses of nomination contestants - $0.1
Total event-based expenses - $5.7

2014:
Annual expenses of registered parties - $62.8
Annual expenses of EDAs - $9.2
Total annual expenses of registered parties and EDAs - $72.0
Election related expenses of registered parties and candidates - $2.2
Expenses of leadership contestants - $0.1
Expenses of nomination contestants - $2.5
Total event-based expenses - $4.8

The data shows from 2003 to 2014, regulated federal political entities incurred $1,379.7 billion in expenses. Event-based expenses totalled $536.3 million, representing 39% of the total expenses incurred by parties and EDAs. The ongoing annual expenses of registered parties and their EDAs totalled $843.4 million, or 61% of the expenses that were incurred. The data show that almost all event-based expenses were related to elections (95 %). Leadership contest expenses accounted for 4% of total event-based spending, while nomination contest expenses accounted for 1%. The data also show that registered parties incurred 82% of all annual expenses, while EDAs incurred 18% of all annual expenses.

On the bottom of the graph there are the following notes:

Bill C-24: Amendments to the Canada Elections Act and the Income Tax Act. Introduced publicly-funded quarterly allowances and contribution limits, brought EDAs, nomination and leadership contests into the regulatory system, increased reimbursements of paid regulatory system, increased reimbursements of paid election expenses and political contribution tax credits.

Bill C-2: The Federal Accountability Act. This legislation further reduced contribution limits and restricted eligibility to individuals only.

As well, at the bottom of the graph is the following footnote:

In 2003, EDAs, nomination contestants and leadership contestants were not part of the regulatory regime. As such, their expenses were unknown. Expenses in 2003 are for registered parties and candidates only. After 2003, expenses are for registered parties, candidates, EDAs, nomination contestants and leadership contestants.