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Details of Transfer Payment Programs (TPP)



Table 1: Details of Transfer Payment Programs

1. Strategic Outcome: An Accessible Electoral Framework That Canadians Trust and Use

2. Program Activity: Regulation of Electoral Activities

3. Name of Transfer Payment Program: Reimbursements to eligible candidates and political parties, subsidies to auditors of candidates and registered associations, and allowances to eligible political parties (political financing provisions of the Canada Elections Act, statutory payments).

4. Start Date: Ongoing

5. End Date: Ongoing

6. Description: Elections Canada’s role is to administer the Canada Elections Act, which has three main objectives: fairness, transparency and participation.

To promote fairness and participation, the Act provides for partial reimbursement of paid election expenses and personal expenses of candidates (for by-elections and general elections), partial reimbursement of paid election expenses of registered parties (for general elections only) as well as a subsidy for candidate and registered association audit fees. To be eligible for partial reimbursement of election expenses, candidates must be elected or obtain at least 10 percent of the valid votes cast in their electoral district. Registered parties must obtain at least 2 percent of the valid votes cast nationally or 5 percent of the valid votes cast in electoral districts where the party has endorsed candidates.

Registered parties that meet the reimbursement criteria also receive quarterly allowances based on the number of votes they obtained in the previous general election.

A subsidy not exceeding $1,500 is sent directly to the external auditors of candidates and to auditors of qualified registered associations. To qualify for an audit subsidy, an association must have accepted contributions or incurred expenses totaling $5,000 or more during the year.

  Calculation of Reimbursement Minimum Reimbursement Maximum Reimbursement
Election Expenses Candidates 60% of the sum of paid election expenses and paid personal expenses n/a 60% of established spending limit
Registered parties 50% of paid election expenses n/a 50% of established spending limit
Auditor's Subsidy Candidates 3% of candidate's election expenses $250 $1,500
Registered associations Amount of the invoice n/a $1,500
Quarterly Allowance Registered parties For Fiscal Year 2011–2012:
$0.4375 multiplied by the number of valid votes cast in the last general election and the inflation adjustment factor determined for Fiscal Year 2011–2012

For Fiscal Year 2012–2013:
$0.3825 multiplied by the number of valid votes cast in the last general election

For Fiscal Year 2013–2014:
$0.255 multiplied by the number of valid votes cast in the last general election

For Fiscal Year 2014–2015:
$0.1275 multiplied by the number of valid votes cast in the last general election

For Fiscal Year 2015–2016:
No allowance
n/a n/a

7. Expected Results: Political entities have access to statutory payments in accordance with the law.

($ thousands) 8.
Forecast Spending
2011-12
9.
Planned Spending
2012-13
10.
Planned Spending
2013-14
11.
Planned Spending
2014-15
12. Total Grants 0  0 0 0
12. Total Contributions 0 0 0 0
12. Total Other Types of Transfer Payments $91,174 $23,328  $15,905 $8,482
13. Total Transfer Payments $91,174 $23,328  $15,905 $8,482