A bunch of federal riding associations — mostly Green Party electoral district associations — were de-registered by Elections Canada over the last week, all for failing to live up to one provision or another of the Canada Elections Act.
The only Liberal EDA to be de-registered in the latest batch of de-registrations: The Central Nova Federal Liberal Association, in the riding currently held by Conservative Peter MacKay. The notice from Elections Canada that the Central Nova Liberal EDA will be de-registered as of Sept. 30 comes in the same week that party leader Justin Trudeau was in the riding drawing (as usual) huge and enthusiastic crowds.
The YouTube video I’ve embedded here features Randy Delorey, the Nova Scotia Liberal candidate for the provincial riding of Antigonish introducing Trudeau who is about to speak to Antigonish/Central Nova Liberals. This video was shot by Kyle Stewart who blogged about Trudeau’s visit to Antigonish. Kyle took lots of pics there and, as you can see, there seemed to be a fair number of Nova Scotians from Antigonish interested in seeing what Trudeau had to say.
So what did Central Nova’s Liberals do that put them offside with Elections Canada? According to Elections Canada, the riding association was in violation of two provisions of the Act (sections 403.35 and subsection 403.21(1)), both of which relate to a riding association’s requirement to provide Elections Canada with audited financial information once a year.
Also facing de-registration on Sept. 30 for failing to live up to the Canada Elections Act were 10 Green Party EDAs in the following ridings:
- Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont (currently held by Conservative Mike Lake)
- Haldimand-Norfolk (currently held by Conservative Conservative Diane Finley)
- Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke (currently held by Conservative Cheryl Gallant)
- Beauharnois-Salaberry (currently held by New Democrat Anne Minh-Thu Quach)
- Saint Maurice-Champlain (currently held by Liberal Lise St-Denis)
- Pierrefonds-Dollard (currently held by New Democrat Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe)
- Dartmouth-Cole Harbour (currently held by New Democrat Robert Chisholm)
- Perth-Wellington (currently held by Conservative Gary Schellenberger)
- Red Deer (currently held by Conservative Earl Dreeshen)
- Richmond Hill (currently held by Conservative Costas Menegakis)