Time limits for federal election campaigns eyed

OTTAWA — The minister responsible for elections reform says she is aiming to introduce legislation this fall that could impose a time limit on election campaigns.

In an interview, Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould outlined changes her office is considering — including how to deal with foreign “actors” who she said are “getting ever more creative.”

A House of Commons committee recommended in June that a maximum election writ period be set at 43 days, more than a month shorter than the unprecedented 78-day campaign in 2015.

The chief electoral officer concluded after the last federal election that having no limit on the length of a campaign increased uncertainty for everyone except the incumbent government. Gould said there is “value” in the idea of setting a limit.

“(The election in) 2015 was an anomaly,” she said. “I think it goes back to our political culture, right — in terms of what Canadians are used to, what they expect from elections, when they really start to tune in and turn on in terms of when they’re getting engaged.”

Another “big piece” of potential new laws could change how third parties, such as advocacy groups, can participate in election campaigns. At present, third-party groups only need to report their finances in the six months leading up to an election, something many have said needs to change.

Gould said her office is “looking at” expanding reporting requirements beyond the six-month leadup.

The Senate report on potential foreign influence in Canadian elections also recommended a penalty should be created for people who create and distribute false campaign material, such as websites or social media content, with the intention to mislead.

“There are outside actors that are getting ever more creative, so we need to be alive and alert to what those mechanisms are that they could be using,” Gould said.