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Political Financing Handbook for Nomination Contestants and Financial Agents (EC 20182) – March 2019 – DRAFT guideline OGI 2019-03

This document is Elections Canada's DRAFT guideline OGI 2019-04.

Click on the link for the latest Political Financing Handbook for Electoral District Associations and Financial Agents.

10. Nomination Contestant's Travel and Living Expenses

This chapter discusses the nomination contestant's travel and living expenses and reporting requirements. It covers the following topics:

  • What are the contestant's travel and living expenses? What are not?
  • Who can incur and pay the contestant's travel and living expenses?
  • Typical travel and living expenses (meals and incidentals, temporary lodging and transportation)

What are the contestant's travel and living expenses?

The nomination contestant's travel and living expenses include the following types of expenses reasonably incurred in relation to the contestant's campaign, both during and outside the contest period:

  • transportation
  • temporary lodging
  • meals and incidentals

The contestant's travel and living expenses do not count against the nomination contest expenses limit.

Note: The contestant's travel and living expenses must be new expenses or increases in normally incurred expenses. In other words, they are expenses that the contestant incurred only because there was a nomination contest.

What are not the contestant's travel and living expenses?

The expenses of campaign workers and volunteers accompanying the nomination contestant on trips during the contest period, or assisting the contestant during events, are not the contestant's travel and living expenses. They are nomination contest expenses subject to the limit.

Expenses incurred for return trips of campaign workers and volunteers after the contest period are other nomination campaign expenses.

Example

The contestant rents a car to travel in the riding and meet with voters during the contest period. The car rental and fuel costs are recorded as travel and living expenses of the contestant. The expenses for the contestant's lodging and meals during the trip are also travel and living expenses. The contestant travels with his campaign manager, who is a volunteer. The expenses associated with the campaign manager's lodging and meals during the trip are nomination contest expenses.

Who can incur and pay the contestant's travel and living expenses?

Only the nomination contestant or the financial agent can incur the contestant's travel and living expenses.

Only the contestant or the financial agent is allowed to pay the contestant's travel and living expenses. They can be paid:

  • by the financial agent from the campaign bank account
  • by the contestant using their own funds

The following table explains the different scenarios for contestants paying their own travel and living expenses.

Payment scenario What to keep in mind

Contestant pays a travel and living expense and intends to be repaid by the campaign

The campaign has to repay the contestant within 36 months after the selection date (or election day, if the selection date falls within an election period or within 30 days before it).

After that date, the repayment cannot be made without prior authorization from Elections Canada or a judge.

Contestant pays a travel and living expense and does not intend to be repaid

When contestants use their own funds to pay travel and living expenses, and they are not repaid by the campaign, it is a non-monetary contribution from the contestant to the campaign. The contribution rules apply.

Typical travel and living expenses

The following are examples of typical travel and living expenses that the nomination contestant might incur in relation to their campaign.

Meals and incidentals

The nomination contestant might spend long hours away from home because of the campaign. Additional expenses for the contestant's meals and incidentals incurred as an incidence of the contest are travel and living expenses.

Example

The contestant orders a $30 dinner while travelling in the riding because of the campaign. This is a travel and living expense of the contestant. His day-to-day meals consumed at home, on the other hand, are not a travel and living expense because meals are consumed regularly outside the contest period.

Note: Per diems (daily allowances) cannot be claimed as a contestant's travel and living expenses. Only actual paid expenses are considered.

Temporary lodging

The nomination contestant might stay in a hotel while travelling in the electoral district for the campaign or might relocate temporarily to the electoral district if they normally live elsewhere. The expense for the contestant's temporary lodging incurred as an incidence of the contest is a travel and living expense.

Transportation

The nomination contestant might need to travel within or outside the electoral district for the campaign, using a vehicle or other method of transportation. The expense for the contestant's transportation incurred as an incidence of the contest is a travel and living expense.

If the contestant uses a personal vehicle for travel, they may submit:

  • receipts for gas and other expenses, or
  • a mileage log

The mileage log should contain the following information: the date of travel, point of origin, destination, kilometres travelled and purpose of travel. It is recommended that campaigns use the kilometric rates established by the National Joint Council's Travel Directive to calculate the expense.

Note: A contestant's travel claim has to be either for actual expenses, such as gas and rental costs, or else for mileage. The claim cannot be for both.