BiVQciian OrTacess

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Canada Elections Act was
amended to stipulate that only
those registered parties that
receive at least nwo per cent of
the valid votes cast nationally or
at least five per cent of the valid
votes cast in the electoral dis-
tricts in which they endorsed 2
candidate are eligible to receive
the reimbursement of 22.5 per
cent of their clection expenses
provided for in the act.

Candidates may also issue
tax receipts for contributions to
their campaigns and receive a
partial reimbursement of their
expenses. They have the right
to reimbursement of half of
their allowable _ personal
expenses, as well as their clec—
tion expenses, to 2 maximum oF
50 per cent of the official
expenses limit, if they are elect-
ed or obtain at least 15 per cent
of the valid votes cast in their
ridings. Allowable personal

THURSDAY,

expenses include any additional
costs of caring for a child or for
a person with a physical or
mental disability that are
incurred as a result of running
as a candidate in an election.

Third parties are not reim-
bursed for their expenses, and
do not have the right to issue
receipts for tax purposes.
Referendums

Until 1992, there was no
federal referendum iegisla-
tion. The 1992 referendum
was the first event ever con-
ducted under the

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ar an

SEARS BRENTWOOD.

GRAND
NO

VEM

Wednesday, November 22, 2000 - Horth Shore News - 52

Referendum Act. Previous
plebissites were held under
enabling legislation.
Electoral boundaries

The use of independent
electoral tistrict, boundaries
commissions to set electoral
district boundaries began in
1964. The boundaries are
redrawn after each decennial
(10-year) census to ensure
that representation reflects
population shifts in accor-
dance with the Constitution
Act, 1867, and the Electoral
Boundaries Readjustment Act

[TES
NING

R
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(1985, as amended).
Enforcing the rules

The position of Election
Expenses Commissioner was
established in 1974 under the
Election Expenses Act.

The title was changed to
Commissioner of Canada
Elections in 1977, when the
commissioner's powers were
expanded to ensure that all
the provisions of the Canada
Elections Act were observed
and applied.

Voting history
For a thorough study of

ER 23, 2000

We're also celebrating at our Burnaby, Capilano, Cequitlam,
Langley, Richmond, Surrey, and Abbotsford Sears stores

a a A oe te

the evolution of the federal
electoral process, see A
History of the Vote in Canada
(Oxtawa: Minister of Public
Works and Government
Services Canada for the Chief
Electoral Officer of Canada,
1997). Written by a team of
historians and academics, this
illustrated book is available
from bvoksellers or by mail
from Canadian Government
Publishing - PWGSC,
Ortawa, Ontario KIA 089
(catalogue no. SE3-36-
19978),

H COLUMBIA