Green Party reports spending nearly $1 million in Ontario by-election
Ontario Greens’ claim $780,000 was spent in areas excluded from spending limits appears to violate Elections Ontario rules
The Green Party of Ontario, its local riding association and its Kitchener Centre by-election candidate have submitted financial returns to Elections Ontario that report they together spent nearly $1 million on the November, 2023 by-election campaign, remaining under legal spending caps by claiming over $780,000 in expenses were in areas excluded from campaign spending limits, claims that appear to violate Elections Ontario rules.
Recently posted financial returns show by-election campaign spending of almost $835,000 by the Green Party of Ontario, over $90,000 by its local riding association and more than $120,000 by candidate Aislinn Clancy’s campaign account. The total reported combined spending from the three accounts sums to almost $1,050,000.
However, about $107,000 in reported expenses were transfers into the Clancy campaign account from the Ontario Greens or its local riding association. After removing in-transfers received by the candidate to avoid double-counting, the Green’s three financial returns show combined spending of $937,184.41 on the by-election.
In comparison, the reported combined spending by the Ontario NDP, its local association and its candidate was $263,857.11 after net transfers to the candidate’s account are removed. After removing net transfers to their candidate, the three PC returns report $240,697.57 in total spending. The three Liberal returns show a total of just $70,121.76 in by-election spending.
Spending nearly $1 million on a by-election campaign would normally far exceed spending limits set by law. But the Green Party of Ontario return claims over $780,000 of its by-election campaign spending was on items excluded from legal limits.
Elections Ontario guidance materials identify several areas of campaign expenses excluded from campaign spending limits, such as costs for accounting, fund-raising events, research, polling and election night parties. Those amounts do not count toward the legal spending ceiling.
However, the Ontario Green’s return lists hundreds of thousands of dollars of expenses in the excluded column that Elections Ontario guidance materials do not indicate are excluded from limits, such as staff wages, postage and advertising.
Parties violating the Election Finances Act’s spending limits are subject to administrative penalties imposed by the Chief Electoral Officer.
What does the Act say about timing of expenses? Once Laura Mae Lindo announced she would step down in about January or February, everyone knew there would be a by-election. But Lindo's resignation didn't come officially until July, and then the by-election wasn't called until about Nov 1. So are expenses incurred before the official call part of the "excluded" column?