Figure 12 – Breakdown of Candidates by Proportion of Their Election Expenses Limit Incurred for General Elections, 2000-2011

This bar graph shows how many candidates per general election (2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011) incurred election expenses as a percentage of their election expenses limit.

The X-axis of this graph demarks the number of candidates and the Y-axis demarks election years for 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011. The data in each year group the number of candidates into five percentage groups representing the percentage of the election expenses limit incurred: 0% to 25%, 26% to 50%, 51% to 75%, 76% to 94%, and 95% and over.

The number of candidates who incurred election expenses as a percentage of the election expenses limit by general election is:

2000 general election:
0%-25% - 1,090
26%-50% - 189
51%-75% - 175
76%-94% - 248
95% and over - 106

2004 general election:
0%-25% - 959
26%-50% - 178
51%-75% - 203
76%-94% - 253
95% and over - 93

2006 general election:
0%-25% - 946
26%-50% - 188
51%-75% - 155
76%-94% - 232
95% and over – 115

2008 general election:
0%-25% - 902
26%-50% - 186
51%-75% - 174
76%-94% - 244
95% and over - 96

2011 general election:
0%-25% - 912
26%-50% - 168
51%-75% - 166
76%-94% - 252
95% and over - 90

The data show that over the five elections measured there is no substantive difference in how many candidates spent within each category per election. For the five elections represented, 58% of the 8,320 candidates spent 25% or less, 11% spent 26% to 50%, 10% spent 51% to 75%, 15% spent 76% to 94%, and 6% spent 95% or more of their expenses limits in all elections.

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.