Bill S-215 explained in plain English
An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (election expenses)
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
Bill S-215 amends the Canada Elections Act to extend limits on election expenses to advertising and promotional costs incurred in the three months before an election period begins.
Bill S-215 changes how election spending is tracked and limited in Canadian federal elections. Currently, the Canada Elections Act controls how much money registered political parties and election candidates can spend during an official election period. This bill expands the rules to also cover spending in the three-month period immediately before an election officially starts. Under this bill, costs and donations used to promote or oppose a registered party, its leader, or a candidate during those pre-election months would now count toward election spending limits. This includes advertising, materials, and services provided during that three-month window. The bill includes several important details: (1) Newly registered parties are treated as if they were registered from the beginning of the three-month period for spending calculation purposes. (2) Pre-election spending rules do not apply to by-elections (special elections held to fill a vacant seat). (3) A candidate's pre-election costs only count if they occurred after the candidate's official agent was appointed. (4) Pre-election spending by electoral district associations (local party units) is attributed to the candidate's spending limit. (5) If two elections happen within three months of each other, a single cost counts only toward the first election. (6) The rules apply only to spending that occurs after the bill receives royal assent, with a special transitional rule for elections called within six months after that date.
- Expands the definition of 'election expenses' under the Canada Elections Act to include costs and non-monetary contributions used to directly promote or oppose a registered party, its leader, or a candidate during the three-month period immediately before an election period begins
- Requires parties to count pre-election advertising and promotional expenses (from the three-month pre-election period) toward their overall election spending limits
- Requires candidates to count pre-election advertising and promotional expenses (from the three-month pre-election period) toward their individual election spending limits
- Treats newly registered parties as if they were registered from the beginning of the three-month pre-election period for purposes of spending calculations
- Excludes pre-election spending rules from applying to by-elections (elections held to fill vacant seats)
- Excludes candidate pre-election costs incurred before the candidate's official agent was appointed
- Attributes election district association pre-election expenses to the candidate's spending limit
- Prevents the same cost from being counted toward multiple election spending limits if two elections occur within three months of each other
- Caps the pre-election spending that counts toward a party or candidate's limit at their maximum allowed election expense amount
- Excludes pre-election expenses from being counted twice (in both party and candidate reporting requirements)
- Makes the amendments apply to costs incurred or contributions received on or after royal assent, with a transitional rule extending application to elections called within six months of royal assent
- Registered political parties in federal elections
- Eligible parties seeking to become registered in federal elections
- Federal election candidates
- Electoral district associations (local party organizations)
- Official agents for candidates
- Anyone making donations or providing non-monetary contributions to parties, candidates, or electoral district associations during the three-month pre-election period
- Registered parties must ensure their pre-election advertising and promotional spending (in the three-month pre-election period) is tracked and counted toward their maximum allowable election expenses
- Candidates must ensure their pre-election advertising and promotional spending (in the three-month pre-election period) is tracked and counted toward their maximum allowable election expenses
- Electoral district associations must track pre-election spending as it will be attributed to their candidate's spending limit
- Candidates' official agents must be appointed before candidate pre-election expenses can count toward spending limits
- Parties and candidates must ensure their combined pre-election and election-period spending does not exceed legal limits
- The bill applies to costs incurred or non-monetary contributions received on or after the date the bill receives royal assent
- A transitional rule allows the amendments to apply to elections called (by writ issuance) within six months after royal assent, even if costs were incurred before royal assent
- Registered parties will have less available spending during the combined three-month pre-election and election periods because pre-election expenses now count toward their election spending limits
- Candidates will have less available spending during the combined three-month pre-election and election periods because pre-election expenses now count toward their individual election spending limits
- Electoral district associations' pre-election spending will reduce the available spending for their candidate under the candidate's spending limit
- The bill does not specify new enforcement mechanisms or penalties; enforcement of the new pre-election spending rules would fall under existing Canada Elections Act enforcement provisions
- The bill text does not specify what constitutes 'directly promote or oppose' and this term may require interpretation by Elections Canada or the courts
- The bill does not detail how Elections Canada will enforce or monitor pre-election spending, particularly for spending by parties that may not yet be officially registered
- The bill does not specify penalties or enforcement actions for parties or candidates that exceed spending limits when pre-election expenses are included
- The bill does not clarify how pre-election spending limits interact with the spending limits for multiple elections within six months beyond the rule that costs count only toward the first election
- The bill's application to elections within six months of royal assent is transitional and time-limited; long-term implementation details are not provided
The Act's election expense limits and definitions are extended to cover the three-month pre-election period; multiple sections are modified to include or exclude pre-election expenses from various reporting and limit requirements
Source: Section 370, Section 407, Section 435, and new section 465.1
Parties that become newly registered are deemed to have been registered from the start of the three-month pre-election period for purposes of calculating pre-election spending limits
Source: Section 1; new subsection 370(6)
The definition of 'election expense' is broadened to include costs and non-monetary contributions used to promote or oppose a party, leader, or candidate during the three-month pre-election period; detailed rules specify what costs count, when they count, and how they interact with spending limits
Source: Section 2(1); new subsections 407(1.1) through 407(1.8) and amended subsection 407(4)
Pre-election expenses that would be counted under the new rules are excluded from being counted again in a registered party's election expense totals
Source: Section 3; new subsection 435(3)
A new section 465.1 excludes pre-election expenses from being included in candidate financial reporting under these sections
Source: Section 4; new section 465.1
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 textParliamentary Process
Bill S-215 received first reading in the Senate on February 12, 2014, and was subsequently referred to a committee.
The Senate gave Bill S-215, an Act to amend the Canada Elections Act concerning election expenses, its first reading on February 12, 2014. This is a procedural step where a bill is introduced. The bill was later referred to a committee for consideration. The provided text also notes similar bills from a previous Parliament.
During a Senate sitting on February 12, 2014, Bill S-215 concerning election expenses received first reading, alongside discussions on various other topics and the adoption of committee reports.
On February 12, 2014, the Senate proceeded with routine business. During this sitting, Senator Dennis Dawson introduced Bill S-215, "An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (election expenses)," which was given first reading. The Senate also debated other matters including the 150th anniversary of Collège Saint-Joseph, the 2014 Winter Olympics, dairy farmers, the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, and the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Governance Bill, among others. Several committee reports were adopted, and various inquiries and debates continued.
Bill S-215, concerning election expenses, completed its second reading in the Senate and was referred to committee.
This artifact details the procedural progress of Bill S-215, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (election expenses), in the Senate. The bill completed its second reading stage on April 9, 2014, and following this, it was referred to a committee on June 10, 2014. The summary includes information about the dates of these procedural steps and notes that major speeches were made by Senator Dennis Dawson and Senator Irving Gerstein during the second reading process. It also lists similar bills from a previous Parliament.
During a Senate sitting on April 9, 2014, senators debated Bill S-215 concerning election expenses and other legislative matters, while also commemorating significant historical events and discussing social issues.
During a Senate sitting on April 9, 2014, senators discussed various matters including the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, the 97th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the role of French Canadians in World War I, violence against children, National Volunteer Week, and the security of the Canada Revenue Agency. A significant portion of the debate focused on Bill S-215, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (election expenses). Senator Dennis Dawson introduced the bill, explaining its purpose is to better regulate advertising expenses by requiring parties to report advertising during the three months before an election as official campaign expenses. He argued this would prevent parties from using loopholes to spend excessively before an election and promote a level playing field. Other discussions included Bill S-2, concerning the incorporation of regulations by reference, and Bill C-23, related to voter identification and vouching. Multiple committees also presented reports and received authorization to study various matters. The sitting concluded with the third reading and passage of Bill C-14.
Senator Dennis Dawson introduced Bill S-215 for the third time, proposing to regulate election advertising expenses by treating pre-election advertising as official campaign expenses to ensure fair elections decided by ideas, not money, after which debate was adjourned.
During a Senate debate on April 9, 2014, Senator Dennis Dawson introduced Bill S-215, an Act to amend the Canada Elections Act concerning election expenses. This was the third time Senator Dawson had presented this bill, aiming to regulate advertising expenses by requiring parties to report advertising during the three months before an election as official campaign expenses. The speech focused on the principles behind the bill, including the idea that election outcomes should be based on ideas, not money, the importance of not exploiting legislative loopholes, and the need to move away from a "permanent campaign" strategy similar to that seen in the United States. Senator Dawson also referenced recent political events and controversies within the Conservative Party, suggesting they highlighted the need for such legislation. Debate on the bill was adjourned.
On June 10, 2014, the Senate addressed numerous items of business, including committee reports, notices of motions, and debates on various bills such as the Fair Elections Act and proposed amendments to the Canada Elections Act regarding election expenses (Bill S-215).
On June 10, 2014, the Senate proceeded with various items of business. This included tributes to departing pages, congratulations for a distinguished service award, and discussions on provincial economies. Several committee reports were presented and tabled, including those on aquaculture, main estimates, and amendments to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. Notices of motions were given to authorize committees to meet during sittings and adjournments, and for specific studies. Debates occurred on various bills, including amendments to the Canada National Parks Act, the Electoral Boundaries Readjustment Act, and the Criminal Code regarding exploitation and trafficking. The Senate also debated Bill C-23 (Fair Elections Act) at third reading, with motions in amendment proposed. Discussions also touched upon support for literacy programs, the use of the Inuktitut language in the Senate, and the Senate's role in protecting minorities. Bill S-215, concerning election expenses, was moved for second reading and referred to committee.
During the Senate's second reading debate on Bill S-215, senators presented opposing views on how to regulate election expenses and the fairness of proposed amendments to the Canada Elections Act.
This Senate debate record from June 10, 2014, discusses Bill S-215, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (election expenses). The main procedural event related to this bill was the continuation of the debate at the second reading stage. One senator spoke in support of the bill, arguing it would create a level playing field by including pre-writ period expenses within election spending caps and stated that the bill unfairly targets the Conservative Party's fundraising. Another senator spoke in opposition, arguing the bill was undemocratic and would stifle political expression.
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 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 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 Consideration in committee 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 Third reading 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 is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
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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