Bill C-9 explained in plain English
An Act respecting the election and term of office of chiefs and councillors of certain First Nations and the composition of council of those First Nations
Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
The First Nations Elections Act provides an alternative to the Indian Act for governing the election of chiefs and councillors in certain First Nations, setting four-year terms, election contestation rules, and offences.
Bill C-9, also known as the First Nations Elections Act, establishes a new set of rules for how chiefs and councillors are elected in certain First Nations. These rules are an alternative to those found in the Indian Act. The Act specifies that chiefs and councillors will serve four-year terms and outlines procedures for contesting elections in court. It also defines offences and penalties related to these elections. First Nations that fall under this Act can choose to opt out by creating their own written election code. The Act was assented to on April 11, 2014.
- Establishes the First Nations Elections Act as a distinct regime for governing elections in certain First Nations.
- Sets a four-year term of office for elected chiefs and councillors.
- Allows for election results to be contested in court.
- Defines offences and penalties related to the election process.
- Provides a mechanism for First Nations to opt out of this regime by adopting their own election codes.
- Amends the Indian Act to reflect the application of the First Nations Elections Act.
- Specifies rules for the composition of councils, candidate eligibility, the voting process, and the awarding of positions.
- Certain First Nations
- Chiefs and councillors of those First Nations
- Electors (members of First Nations who are 18 years or older and registered on a Band List)
- The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
- The Federal Court
- Provincial superior courts
- Electors have the right to vote if they meet eligibility criteria.
- Candidates have the right to be nominated if they meet eligibility criteria.
- Electoral officers have the duty to conduct elections according to the Act and regulations.
- A First Nation has the right to develop its own election code to opt out of the Act.
- Elections can be contested in court if a contravention of the Act or regulations may have affected the result.
- Royal Assent was given on April 11, 2014.
- The provisions of the Act come into force on a date or dates to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council.
- Participating First Nations may impose a fee of up to $250 on each candidate, refundable if the candidate receives more than five per cent of the total votes cast.
- Penalties for offences under the Act can include fines of up to $5,000 or $2,000, depending on the offence and conviction type.
- Various actions are defined as offences, including providing false information, interfering with ballots or ballot boxes, impersonation, bribery, intimidation, and obstruction of election officials.
- Penalties for offences vary based on the type of offence and conviction (summary conviction or indictment).
- Fines can range from $1,000 to $5,000.
- Imprisonment can range from three months to five years.
- Conviction for certain offences can result in ineligibility to hold office for five years after conviction.
- The Act specifies that it applies to 'certain First Nations', and the exact list of these nations is found in a schedule that is not fully detailed in the provided text.
- The Act comes into force on dates to be fixed by order of the Governor in Council, meaning not all provisions may be effective immediately upon Royal Assent.
- The specific content of regulations governing various aspects of the election process, such as the appointment of officers, candidate nomination procedures, and the petition process for removal from office, is not detailed in the Act itself but will be set out in regulations made by the Governor in Council.
This Act establishes a new framework for the election of chiefs and councillors in specific First Nations, including rules on term limits, election contestation, and offences.
Source: General text of the Bill
Changes the definition of 'council of the band' to include councils elected or in office under the First Nations Elections Act, or under a community election code adopted after a First Nation is removed from the schedule of the First Nations Elections Act.
Source: Section 43
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textThe official summary published alongside the bill, shown exactly as written.
Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
A legislative summary is currently being prepared for this bill by the Parliamentary Information and Research Service of the Library of Parliament. Meanwhile, the following executive summary is available. On 29 October 2013, the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development introduced Bill C-9, An Act respecting the election and term of office of chiefs and councillors of certain First Nations and the composition of council of those First Nations (First Nations Elections Act), in the House of Commons and it was given first reading. In October 2010, the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development and the leaders of these organizations launched a national engagement exercise on electoral reform. These organizations met with other First Nation leaders across the country between October 2010 and March 2011 to present their recommendations and seek advice on improving the election process for First Nations. Bill C-9 establishes a regime, alternative to the one under the Indian Act, to govern the election of chiefs and councillors of certain First Nations. Among other things it • provides that chiefs and councillors hold office for four years; • provides that the election of a chief or councillor may be contested before a competent court; and • sets out offences and penalties in relation to the election of a chief or councillor. This enactment also allows First Nations to withdraw from the regime by adopting a written code that sets out the rules regarding the election of the members of their council.
This is the official summary published by the Parliament of Canada, shown verbatim. Not legal advice. PoliticalData.ca did not write or edit this text.
View on LEGISinfoParliamentary Process
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Sponsor’s speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Response speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Committee report presented without amendment yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Introduction and first reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Committee report presented yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
We don't have a plain-language summary for Debates of the Senate yet. The official source linked below is the full record.
Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.
Vote Summary
This bill does not have a published recorded division in the current official sources, so representative-by-representative vote counts are not shown.
No published representative vote breakdown
The current official sources do not publish a recorded division breakdown for this bill, so there is no representative-by-representative table to show.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced