Powell River Regional District has been given a warning by Elections BC about publicizing accomplishments just prior to an election.
In November 2014, the same month as BC’s municipal elections, the regional district published Powell River Regional District Update. Elections BC determined it constituted election advertising.
Correspondence from Louise Sawdon, manager, Local Elections Campaign Financing from Elections BC, stated that by highlighting the achievements of the regional district during 2014, the newsletter indirectly promoted the current directors who were standing for re-election. She also stated a review of the previous editions of the newsletter the regional district provided to Elections BC demonstrate an infrequent and irregular publishing schedule. As such, the newsletter is not a bona fide periodical publication, the government agency ruled.
Sawdon stated it is an offence under the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act to sponsor election advertising without being registered with Elections BC as a third party sponsor. Further, because third party sponsors must not sponsor election advertising together with or on behalf of a candidate, it is unlikely that a third party sponsor registration application by a local government would be approved, she stated. As such, the regional district government must not publish this type of communication during future election proceedings periods, according to Elections BC.
At the February regional board meeting, Al Radke, regional district’s chief administrative officer, said the regional district proceeded with publishing the update based on its interpretation of the legislation governing election advertising. Radke said in future electoral cycles, the newsletter will not be printed with the type of information in it that Elections BC deemed as advertising.
“If there is to be any regular newsletter, that will be solely funded in a separate manner as well,” he said.
