Multiple Guilty Verdicts and Pleas for Municipal Election Act Violations in Quebec
2 February 2011 | Election Finance, Municipal Government
The Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec (the "CEO") has announced two guilty verdicts and nine guilty pleas have been obtained for various violations of the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities (Quebec) (the "Act").
Thousands of dollars of fines were paid for the failure to file financial reports, failing to provide employees with time to vote and incurring a prohibited election expense.
Failures to File Required Financial Reports
The following independent candidates and official agents plead guilty to failing to file the required financial reports after the municipal elections on 1 November 2009 and paid the following fines:
Alain Bordeleau of Laval, $250; Ghislain Jobin of Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, $50; Karine Colpron of Mercier, $350; Sébastien Gravel of Sainte-Catherine, $1,100; Linda Toulouse of Beauharnois, $200; Robert Fournier of Varennes, $1,500; and Jean-Claude Beaumier of Trois-Rivières, $1,500.
Marc Vachon, an independent candidate in Thetford Mines, and Ghislain Thériault, an independent candidate in Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmeland were each found guilty of failing to file the required financial report. Mr. Vachon and Mr. Thériault were both sentenced to pay a fine of $250.
Failure to Provide Employees with time to Vote
In Sainte-Adèle, a representative of Dollarama S.E.C. refused an employee the necessary time off work to exercise the right to vote, in contravention of section 213 of the Act. Dollarama plead guilty and paid a fine of $1,500.
Prohibited Election Expenses
In Gatineau, Robert Cormier incurred an election expense by paying for an advertisement that opposed the election of a municipal candidate. According to section 455 of the Act, only official agents can pay for election expenses, and Mr. Cormier was not an official agent. Mr. Cormier plead guilty and paid a fine of $500.