Canada Elections Act (S.C. 2000, c. 9)

Marginal note:Prohibition — auditors

476.79 No person who is ineligible to be an auditor of a nomination contestant shall act in that capacity.

Marginal note:Auditor’s report

• 476.8 (1) A nomination contestant’s auditor appointed in accordance with subsection 476.77(1) shall, as soon as feasible after the selection date, report to the contestant’s financial agent on the nomination campaign return for that campaign and shall, in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, make any examination that will enable the auditor to give an opinion in the report as to whether the return presents fairly the information contained in the financial records on which it is based.

• Marginal note:Statement

  (2) The auditor shall include in the report any statement that the auditor considers necessary if

  • (a) the return does not present fairly the information contained in the financial records on which it is based;

  • (b) the auditor has not received all of the information and explanations that the auditor required; or

  • (c) based on the examination, it appears that the financial agent has not kept proper financial records.

• Marginal note:Right of access

  (3) The auditor shall have access at any reasonable time to all of the nomination contestant’s documents, and may require the contestant and their financial agent to provide any information or explanation that, in the auditor’s opinion, may be necessary to enable the auditor to prepare the report.

• Marginal note:Ineligible to prepare report

  (4) No person referred to in subsection 476.77(3) who is a partner or an associate of a nomination contestant’s auditor or who is an employee of that auditor, or of the firm in which that auditor is a partner or associate, shall participate, other than in the manner referred to in subsection (3), in the preparation of the auditor’s report.

Marginal note:Nomination contestants outside Canada

• 476.81 (1) Despite subsection 476.75(7), a nomination contestant who is outside Canada when the documents referred to in paragraphs 476.75(1)(a) to (c) are provided to the Chief Electoral Officer need not send their financial agent the declaration referred to in paragraph 476.75(1)(d) within the period referred to in subsection 476.75(7), but if the contestant does not send it to their financial agent within that period then the contestant shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with the declaration no later than 14 days after the day on which the contestant returns to Canada.

• Marginal note:Financial agent relieved of obligation

  (2) Despite subsection 476.75(1), the financial agent need not provide the Chief Electoral Officer with the nomination contestant’s declaration referred to in paragraph 476.75(1)(d) if, in the circumstances set out in subsection (1), the contestant has not sent it to the financial agent.

Marginal note:Statement of personal expenses

• 476.82 (1) A nomination contestant shall, within three months after the selection date, send their financial agent a written statement in the prescribed form that

  • (a) sets out the following:

    • (i) the amount of any travel and living expenses paid by the contestant and details of those expenses, and

    • (ii) the amount of any litigation expenses and personal expenses paid by the contestant, details of those expenses and an indication of which of them were paid other than from the bank account referred to in subsection 476.65(1) and the source of the funds used to pay them; or

  • (b) declares that the contestant did not pay for any travel and living expenses, litigation expenses or personal expenses.

• Marginal note:Supporting documents

  (1.1) Together with the statement referred to in paragraph (1)(a), the nomination contestant shall send their financial agent documents evidencing the payment of the expenses referred to in the statement.

• Marginal note:Death of contestant

  (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a nomination contestant who dies before the end of the three-month period referred to in that subsection without having sent the written statement.

• Marginal note:Subsequent payments — litigation expenses

  (3) If, after having sent their financial agent the statement referred to in subsection (1), a nomination contestant pays a litigation expense other than from the bank account referred to in subsection 476.65(1), the contestant shall, as soon as feasible after paying it,

  • (a) notify their financial agent of the payment;

  • (b) inform their financial agent of the amount of the expense, the details of the expense and the source of the funds used to pay it; and

  • (c) send their financial agent documents evidencing payment of the expense.

Corrections, Revisions and Extended Reporting Periods

Marginal note:Minor corrections — Chief Electoral Officer

• 476.83 (1) The Chief Electoral Officer may correct a document referred to in subsection 476.75(1), (10), (11), (12) or (15) if the correction does not materially affect its substance.

• Marginal note:Corrections or revisions at request of Chief Electoral Officer

  (2) The Chief Electoral Officer may in writing request a nomination contestant’s financial agent to correct or revise, within a specified period, a document referred to in subsection 476.75(1), (10), (11), (12) or (15).

• Marginal note:Deadline for corrections or revisions

  (3) If the Chief Electoral Officer requests the correction or revision, the nomination contestant’s financial agent shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with the corrected or revised version of the document within the specified period.

Marginal note:Extensions — Chief Electoral Officer

• 476.84 (1) The Chief Electoral Officer, on the written application of a nomination contestant or their financial agent, shall authorize the extension of a period referred to in subsection 476.75(7), (10), (11), (12) or (15), unless he or she is satisfied that the financial agent’s failure to provide the required documents was deliberate or was the result of the financial agent’s failure to exercise due diligence.

• Marginal note:Deadline

  (2) The application may be made within the period referred to in subsection 476.75(7), (10), (11), (12) or (15) or within two weeks after the end of that period.

Marginal note:Corrections or revisions — Chief Electoral Officer

• 476.85 (1) The Chief Electoral Officer, on the written application of a nomination contestant or their financial agent, shall authorize the correction or revision of a document referred to in subsection 476.75(1), (10), (11), (12) or (15) if he or she is satisfied by the evidence submitted by the applicant that the correction or revision is necessary in order for the requirements of this Act to be complied with.

• Marginal note:Application made without delay

  (2) The application shall be made immediately after the applicant becomes aware of the need for correction or revision.

• Marginal note:Deadline for corrections or revisions

  (3) The applicant shall provide the Chief Electoral Officer with the corrected or revised version of the document within 30 days after the day on which the correction or revision is authorized or within any extension of that period authorized under subsection (4) or (5).

• Marginal note:New deadline

  (4) The Chief Electoral Officer, on the written application of the applicant made within two weeks after the end of the 30-day period referred to in subsection (3), shall authorize the extension of that period, unless he or she is satisfied that the applicant’s failure to provide the corrected or revised version of the document was deliberate or was the result of their failure to exercise due diligence.

• Marginal note:Extension of new deadline

  (5) The Chief Electoral Officer, on the written application of the applicant made within two weeks after the end of an extension authorized under subsection (4) or under this subsection, shall authorize the further extension of that period, unless he or she is satisfied that the applicant’s failure to provide the corrected or revised version of the document was deliberate or was the result of their failure to exercise due diligence.

Marginal note:Extensions, corrections or revisions — judge

• 476.86 (1) A nomination contestant or their financial agent may apply to a judge for an order

  • (a) relieving the financial agent from the obligation to comply with a request referred to in subsection 476.83(2);

  • (b) authorizing an extension referred to in subsection 476.84(1); or

  • (c) authorizing a correction or revision referred to in subsection 476.85(1).

  The applicant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.

• Marginal note:Deadline

  (2) The application may be made

  • (a) under paragraph (1)(a), within the specified period referred to in subsection 476.83(2) or within the two weeks after the end of that period;

  • (b) under paragraph (1)(b), within two weeks after, as the case may be,

    • (i) if an application for an extension is not made to the Chief Electoral Officer within the period referred to in subsection 476.84(2), the end of the two-week period referred to in that subsection,

    • (ii) the rejection of an application for an extension made in accordance with section 476.84, or

    • (iii) the end of the extended period referred to in subsection 476.84(1); or

  • (c) under paragraph (1)(c), within two weeks after the rejection of an application for a correction or revision made in accordance with section 476.85.

• Marginal note:Grounds — relief from compliance

  (3) The judge shall grant an order relieving the financial agent from the obligation to comply with a request referred to in subsection 476.83(2) if the judge is satisfied by the evidence submitted by the applicant that the correction or revision is not necessary in order for the requirements of this Act to be complied with.

• Marginal note:Grounds — extension

  (4) The judge shall grant an order authorizing an extension unless the judge is satisfied that the financial agent’s failure to provide the required documents was deliberate or was the result of their failure to exercise due diligence.

• Marginal note:Grounds — corrections or revisions

  (5) The judge shall grant an order authorizing a correction or revision if the judge is satisfied by the evidence submitted by the applicant that the correction or revision is necessary in order for the requirements of this Act to be complied with.

• Marginal note:Contents of order

  (6) An order under subsection (1) may require that the applicant satisfy any condition that the judge considers necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

Marginal note:Appearance of financial agent before judge

• 476.87 (1) A judge dealing with an application under section 476.86 or 476.88 who is satisfied that a nomination contestant or a financial agent has not provided the documents referred to in subsection 476.75(1), (10), (11), (12) or (15) in accordance with this Act because of a failure of the financial agent or a predecessor of the financial agent shall, by order served personally, require the financial agent or that predecessor to appear before the judge.

• Marginal note:Show cause orders

  (2) The judge shall, unless the financial agent or predecessor on his or her appearance shows cause why an order should not be issued, order in writing that the agent or predecessor

  • (a) do anything that the judge considers appropriate in order to remedy the failure; or

  • (b) be examined concerning any information that pertains to the failure.

Marginal note:Recourse of contestant for fault of financial agent

476.88 A nomination contestant may apply to a judge for an order that relieves the contestant from any liability or consequence under this or any other Act of Parliament in relation to an act or omission of the contestant’s financial agent, if the contestant establishes that

• (a) it occurred without his or her knowledge or acquiescence; or

• (b) he or she exercised all due diligence to avoid its occurrence.

The contestant shall notify the Chief Electoral Officer that the application has been made.