Figure 1 – Net Asset Position of All Registered Parties and Affiliated EDAs, 2003-2014

This bar graph shows the net asset position of registered parties and their electoral district associations (EDAs) for the time frame from 2003 to 2014.

The X-axis demarks the years 2003 to 2014, with election years noted in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011. The Y-axis demarks the net asset position in millions of dollars from negative $5 million to $45 million (highest data point is $41.3 million in 2014; lowest data point is negative $4.9 million in 2005). The data for registered parties and EDAs are compared in each year. Before 2004, EDAs were not part of the regulatory regime; as such, their net asset position was unknown. The net asset position in 2003 on Figure 1 is for registered parties only.

The net asset positions per year for registered parties and EDAs from 2003 to 2014 in millions of dollars are:

2003: Registered parties negative $3.3, EDAs unknown
2004: Registered parties negative $1.9, EDAs $9.7
2005: Registered parties negative $4.9, EDAs $13.3
2006: Registered parties $10.2, EDAs $21.9
2007: Registered parties $15.0, EDAs $32.1
2008: Registered parties $0.1, EDAs $13.1
2009: Registered parties $7.9, EDAs $30.2
2010: Registered parties $21.4, EDAs $40.1
2011: Registered parties $14.5, EDAs $19.7
2012: Registered parties $27.2, EDAs $30.3
2013: Registered parties $37.5, EDAs $29.6
2014: Registered parties $40.4, EDAs $41.3

The data shows that the overall net asset position of all registered parties and their EDAs rose from $7.8 million in 2004 to $81.7 million in 2014.

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.

Bill C-13: An Act to implement certain provisions of the 2011 budget. This Act reduced direct public funding of federal registered political parties by phasing out quarterly allowances. The quarterly allowance was reduced each year starting in 2012 until it was eliminated in 2015.

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

In 2003, EDAs were not part of the regulatory regime. As such, their net asset position was unknown. The net asset position in 2003 is for registered parties only. After 2003, net asset positions are for registered parties and EDAs.