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 February 8, 2005, the Commissioner of Canada Elections entered into a compliance agreement with the contracting party of the City of Montréal, (Quebec), Canada, pursuant to section 517 of the Canada Elections Act.

In this agreement, the contracting party, who was a journalist for La Presse newspaper at the time of this action, admits to the actions described in the article published by him for the newspaper La Presse in the June 23, 2004, issue entitled "Un électeur, deux votes." He admits that, by trying to vote twice on June 21, 2004, during the general election, he violated section 7 and paragraphs 281(c) and (d) of the Canada Elections Act, since having already voted in the federal election, he requested a second ballot at that election, knowingly making a false statement in an application for registration and special ballot and knowingly applied for a ballot to which he was not entitled.

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

• In their Saturday issue of June 26, 2004, La Presse and Le Soleil newspapers published an article, at the request of the Commissioner of Canada Elections, stating that their article of June 23, 2004, was not meant to encourage a voter to vote twice.
  
• The contracting party regretted having violated the Act, realizing the severity of his actions on the electoral process since they were contrary to the Act and admitted that it would have been preferable to inform the returning officer or Elections Canada of his concern that people vote twice, instead of trying to do it himself.
  
• As recognition of the seriousness of the offence, a donation was made to the community organization known as United Way. In addition, La Presse and Le Soleil undertook to publish the highlights of the text of the compliance agreement.

In summary, the agreement required Paul Journet to:

• acknowledge the requirement of the Canada Elections Act that prohibits requesting a second ballot after having already voted at the same election;
  
• admit to the truthfulness of the facts and admit responsibility for the act(s) that constitute the offence;
  
• undertake to observe the requirements of the Act when exercising his right to vote in future elections.

Ottawa, February 8, 2005.

RAYMOND A. LANDRY
Commissioner of Canada Elections