Compliance Agreements

COMMISSIONER OF CANADA ELECTIONS

CANADA ELECTIONS ACT

Compliance agreement

This notice is published by the Commissioner of Canada Elections, pursuant to section 521 of the Canada Elections Act, S.C. 2000, c. 9.

On April 18, 2008, the Commissioner of Canada Elections entered into a compliance agreement with Liberal McGill (hereinafter referred to as the Contracting Party), of the City of Montréal, Province of Quebec, pursuant to section 517 of the Canada Elections Act.

The Contracting Party has acknowledged acts that constitute an offence under paragraph 496(1)(b) of the Canada Elections Act, that it engaged in the distribution of election advertising, specifically flyers and labelled water bottles, that did not bear a statement indicating the name of the third party authorizing the election advertising, as required by section 352 of the Act. The distribution occurred at the location of a non-Liberal McGill political event on the campus of McGill University at which a federal by-election candidate was speaking on September 14, 2007.

Prior to the conclusion of the agreement, the Commissioner of Canada Elections took into consideration that:

• The Contracting Party now appreciates the importance of the principle of transparency in the electoral process, reflected in the public's right to know who is engaging in election advertising;
• The Contracting Party acknowledged its mistake and its lack of awareness of the Canada Elections Act requirements in relation to third party advertising; and
• The Contracting Party has given a written assurance to the Commissioner that it has made the next year's executive of Liberal McGill aware of the relevant provisions of the Canada Elections Act pertaining to third party advertising.

May 8, 2008

William H. Corbett
Commissioner of Canada Elections