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 July 17, 2002, the Commissioner of Canada Elections, pursuant to section 517 of the Canada Elections Act, entered into a compliance agreement with the contracting party of the Town of Sooke, British Columbia, Canada, being the financial agent of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), a third party for the purposes of the general election held on November 27, 2000, for failing to file an election advertising report in the prescribed form with the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada within four months after polling day for that election, contrary to subsection 359 (1) of the Canada Elections Act, thereby contravening paragraph 496(1)(f) of the Act.
Prior to the conclusion of the agreement, the Commissioner of Canada Elections has taken into account the fact that the contracting party filed a report on election advertising with the Chief Electoral Officer on December 4, 2001, thereby fulfilling her obligations under subsection 359(1) of the Act. Further, the Commissioner of Canada Elections considered the fact that CUPE contributed to the works of a registered non-partisan charitable organization, Interval House located in the City of Ottawa, Ontario, as recognition of the seriousness of the offence.
In summary, the agreement required the contracting party to:
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admit the truthfulness of the facts as well as her responsibility with respect to the failure to file a third party election advertising report with the Chief Electoral Officer within four months after polling day, as required by subsection 359(1) of the Canada Elections Act;
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recognize the importance of the principle of transparency of election financing;
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undertake to henceforth respect the requirements of the Act concerning election financing, and particularly, the provisions of section 359 concerning the filing of a third party election advertising report.
Ottawa, July 17, 2002
Raymond A. Landry
Commissioner of Canada Elections