GATINEAU, QC, July 31, 2024 /CNW/ - On August 1, 2024, the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections (OCCE) will celebrate 50 years of service to Canadians.

In recognition of this anniversary, the Commissioner of Canada Elections issued the following statement:

"As we approach our 50th anniversary, I would like to thank the dedicated individuals, past and present, who have contributed to the work of the office.

Over the past five decades and through 14 federal general elections, seven Commissioners have played a role in safeguarding Canada's electoral system and it is a mandate that is just as important today as it was in 1974.

I am proud to lead the OCCE as it enters this next chapter and I want to use the occasion of our anniversary to reaffirm our commitment to enforce the Canada Elections Act diligently, independently, impartially and fairly.

Protecting the integrity of our electoral system, and the trust Canadians place in it, is – and will always be – at the heart of our compliance and enforcement work. As we look towards the next 50 years, our objective is clear: we must continue to deliver on our important mandate while evolving to meet the new and as yet undiscovered threats to Canadian federal elections. It is what Canadians can, and should, expect of us, and something we are all committed to achieving."

Caroline J. Simard, Commissioner of Canada Elections

Background

The Law that Inspired a New Role

Born out of a concern for rapidly increasing campaign expenses, the Election Expenses Act (Bill C-203) received royal assent on January 14, 1974. This bill reduced the threat to campaign equity in Canada by amending the Canada Elections Act to include expenditure limits on candidate and party campaigns.

Upon recommendation from Jean-Marc Hamel, the Chief Electoral Officer at the time, a high-level position was created that was responsible for the enforcement of the new Election Expenses Act. The role was intended to be supported by a limited number of personnel called to work during, and shortly after, each federal election. The appointment of the first Commissioner of Election Expenses, John P. Dewis, took effect on August 1, 1974.

The OCCE's Evolution Throughout the Years

In the years that followed, the mandate of the Commissioner of Election Expenses was expanded and by 1977, had grown to include all provisions of the Canada Elections Act (CEA). At that time, the position was renamed Commissioner of Canada Elections. The Commissioner's role was expanded once again in 1992 to include oversight of the Referendum Act.

Independence

Prior to the 1993 general federal election, CEA investigations were carried out by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. However, during that period, there was a shift towards hiring independent contractors and in-house investigators. This change reflected the need for greater independence, control over the investigative process, and in-depth knowledge of the Canada Elections Act. In 2014, a series of legislative amendments to the CEA were introduced. Among them was an express provision that the Commissioner's investigations be carried out independently. This important change has been maintained through the years and as the CEA has evolved. The 2014 amendments also granted the Commissioner the status of deputy head for the purposes of hiring their own staff and managing their office's human resources.

New Powers

In 2019, the CEA's compliance and enforcement toolkit was expanded to include administrative monetary penalties (AMPs). The ability to issue AMPs, which are designed to promote and ensure compliance, not to punish, provided the Commissioner with an important alternative to prosecutions. Since the first AMP was issued in 2021, more than 204 AMPs have been published on the Commissioner of Canada Elections website.

With expanded responsibilities and a rapidly changing electoral landscape, the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections has grown, from a handful of staff in 1974, to a team made up of about 70 full-time employees. These individuals work year-round to respond to the thousands of complaints from the public and referrals from Elections Canada, that form the basis of the Commissioner's core business.  

More information about the anniversary is available on our website at: CCE's 50th Anniversary | Commissioner of Canada Elections (cef-cce.ca).

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SOURCE Commissioner of Canada Elections