Site MenuAdvisory Committee of Political Parties – Meeting Summary – June 13 and 14, 2019
9. Commissioner of Canada Elections
Presenter: Yves Coté (Commissioner of Canada Elections)
Support: Marc Chenier (Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections) and Michelle Laliberté (Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections)
Mr. Coté outlined the new tools available to the Commissioner of Canada Elections (CCE) following the passage of Bill C-76: administrative monetary penalties (AMPs), undertakings (an alternative to the imposition of an AMP), compliance agreements with broader terms and conditions, and the power to seek court order to compel testimony.
Mr. Coté briefed ACPP members that foreign interference in the upcoming general election remains a serious concern and described how the CCE has been working in collaboration with EC and security partners across government, including CSIS, CSE and the RCMP, to address this issue.
Mr. Coté briefed the committee that good progress has been made with most social media/digital platforms in securing a framework for cooperation between them and the CCE. He also explained that the CCE is currently reviewing its communications approach to provide more information about its processes and the factors underlying compliance and enforcement decisions.
Mr. Coté confirmed that CCE’s observations regarding the 43rd general election will be included as part of its annual report in spring 2020. Formal recommendations for legislative changes on compliance and enforcement issues will appear in a separate part of the CEO’s Recommendation Report.
After the conclusion of his presentation, Mr. Coté answered a number of queries from ACPP members. Questions regarded expected turnaround times for investigations and applying penalties, as well as how the Commissioner will deal with volunteers, specifically in regards to violations undertaken on behalf of organizations.