  Banning secret donations to political candidates
The context
The Canada Elections Act governs campaign donations and the financing of political parties and candidates in Canada. While campaign donations are regulated, riding
associations can still give large amounts of campaign money to candidates through trust funds. The Government of Canada will close loopholes in the current election laws by applying
new restrictions on the use of trust funds and the receipt of gifts by candidates for federal political office.
What this means for Canadians
These changes will bring greater transparency and fairness to political financing. The Government will heighten disclosure requirements regarding the personal finances of
Members of Parliament, and hence reduce the risk of their holding problematic financial interests. These measures will allow Members of Parliament to hold legitimate financial
instruments that do not influence their elected positions.
The Action Plan
The Federal Accountability Act will:
- prohibit candidates from accepting gifts that might reasonably be seen to risk influencing them in the performance of their elected duties;
- require candidates to report any gifts they receive worth more than $500;
- prohibit Members of Parliament from using trust funds for political purposes;
- prohibit electoral district associations from transferring money to a candidate when that money is held in trust; and
- empower the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to order Members of Parliament to wind up trust funds or handle them in any other manner that the Commissioner
considers acceptable.
In addition, the Government will make other legislative changes to reform how political parties are financed (see related fact sheet called "Reforming the financing of political
parties" for details).
For more information
For more information on this specific measure, please refer to the relevant section of the Action Plan, or contact us. |
