News Releases: Commissioner of Canada Elections

Commissioner of Canada Elections Accepts an
Undertaking from the
United Conservative Party of Alberta

Gatineau, June 12, 2020

The Commissioner of Canada Elections has accepted an undertaking from the United Conservative Party of Alberta (UCPA) to address events that took place during the 2019 federal general election.

During the election period for that general election, the UCPA, a registered political party in the province of Alberta, distributed a free bumper sticker to individuals who requested one. The stickers constituted “election advertising,” since they contained an advertising message opposing the leader of a federal registered party.

Provincial political parties are exempt from the provisions of the Canada Elections Act (the Act) on partisan activities; however, they are not excluded from the application of the third party election advertising rules. As part of the negotiated terms and conditions of the undertaking, the UCPA agreed to register as a third party and to submit its expenses return to Elections Canada within 30 days of having registered.

The full text of the undertaking is available on the Commissioner of Canada Elections’ website at: www.cef-cce.ca.

An undertaking is a pledge made by a person or entity that did not comply with a requirement of the Act. The undertaking is accepted by the Commissioner as a means of addressing situations of non-compliance and may be entered into when a person or entity has committed a violation or when a notice of violation imposing an administrative monetary penalty (AMP) has been served to a person or entity for a violation of the Act. Undertakings contain the terms and conditions that the Commissioner considers appropriate, which may include the payment of an amount, and are made public on the Commissioner’s website. Failure to comply with any terms or conditions of an undertaking may result in the Commissioner issuing a notice of violation imposing an AMP. More information about undertakings can be found at section 521.13 of the Act.

The Commissioner of Canada Elections is the independent officer responsible for ensuring compliance with, and enforcement of, the Canada Elections Act and the federal Referendum Act.

Media Relations:

Commissioner of Canada Elections Media Relations
819-939-2278
or by email at communication@cef-cce.ca

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