Québec, June 9, 2009–– Marcel Blanchet, Chief Electoral Officer of Québec, has made public the Summary of the returns of election expenses of the parties and candidates having run in the general election held on December 8, 2008. The figures appearing in this summary were taken from the returns of election expenses submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer by the official agents of the parties and the candidates.

It should be recalled that the limit on the election expenses permitted for all of the political parties and candidates within the context of the December 8, 2008 general election stood at $54,096 719. The total election expenses incurred during the election period reached $19,523 182.

In comparison, for the March 26, 2007 general election, the limit on the election expenses permitted for all of the political parties and candidates was $53,641,498 and the expenses incurred totaled $20,668,468.

For the December 8, 2008 general election, the election expenses of candidates were limited to $1.15 per elector registered on the list of electors and, in the case of a political party, to $0.67 per elector registered on the list of electors in all of the electoral divisions where this party had an official candidate.   In 2007, these limits were respectively $1.11 and $0.65 per registered elector.

Here are some data concerning the election expenses of the four parties represented in the National Assembly for the December 8, 2008 general election:

 

Political parties	Limit on election expenses permitted	Total expenses incurred
Action démocratique du Québec/Équipe Mario Dumont	Party: $3,845 003 ($3,659,869 in 2007)	Party: $1,802 010 ($1,467,082 in 2007)
	Candidates:$6,648 366 ($6,411,478 in 2007)	Candidates: $1,189 479 ($1,025,776   in 2007)
Parti libéral du Québec/ Quebec Liberal Party	Party:$3,845 003 ($3,659,869 in 2007)	Party:$3,023 538 ($3,564,643   in 2007)
	Candidates:$6,648 366 ($6,297,927 in 2007)	Candidates:$5,586 703 ($5,939,287   in 2007)
Parti québécois	Party:$3,845 003 ($3,659,869 in 2007)	Party:$3,818 481 ($3,411,053   in 2007)
	Candidates:$6,648 366 ($6,297,927   in 2007)	Candidates:$3,270 173 ($4,399,578 in 2007)
Québec Solidaire	Party:$3,762 788 ($3,631 116 in 2007)	Party:$597 452 ($673 372 in 2007)
	Candidates:$6,507 204 ($6,240 525 in 2007)	Candidates: $0 ($0 in 2007)

 

For all parties and candidates, advertising expenses represent nearly 50% of the total election expenses reported.  Among the parties represented in the National Assembly, it is the Quebec Liberal Party and its candidates that devoted the largest portion of their election expenses to advertising, with approximately 52% of the total. The Parti québécois and its candidates devoted approximately 51% of their expenses to advertising. The Action démocratique du Québec and its candidates invested approximately 41% of their election expenses in advertising, while Québec Solidaire devoted approximately 37%. The other parties taking part in the December 8, 2008 general election spent between 55% and 100% of their budgets on advertising.

The rental of premises represents less than 4% of the election expenses of all parties and candidates.

Moreover, the Chief Electoral Officer has already paid an advance on the reimbursement of the election expenses of parties and candidates which corresponds to 35% of the limit on election expenses of candidates and of the amount estimated by the official agents of the parties. The amount of this advance totals $8,214 356.

Following a detailed audit of the returns of election expenses of the political parties and candidates, the necessary adjustments will be made so that the reimbursement equals 50% of the election expenses incurred and paid in accordance with the Act. The total reimbursement of election expenses should reach approximately $9,700 000, whereas it stood at approximately $10,200,000 in 2007. It should be noted that in order to obtain a reimbursement, a candidate must have been elected or have obtained at least 15% of the valid votes. In the case of a political party, it must have obtained at least 1% of the valid votes.

You can examine the summary of the returns of election expenses by visiting the web-site of the Chief Electoral Officer at the following address: www.electionsquebec.qc.ca, in the Financing Rules section, or by contacting the Information Centre at (418) 528-0422 (Québec City region) or 1 888 ÉLECTION (1 888 353-2846) (outside the Québec City region).

 

 

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