WATCH: Liberal MP Marc Garneau on Friday warned that for every day the election campaign is extended beyond the typical 37 days allows parties to spend an extra $600,000 a day.
Well, it looks like it actually might happen, Canada. Months of speculation has zeroed in on this Sunday as the day the prime minister will officially launch the 42nd federal election.
The incessant speculation isn’t only on account of the fact that it’s summer and the news cycle tends to slow down. It’s also because an early election call has all kinds of effects on the campaign (aside from the number of thunder sticks, catchphrases and attack ads you’ll see/hear).
READ MORE: Why an early election helps Stephen Harper
Much of the changes have to do with finances, in large part on account of a little clause with a big impact written into the Conservatives’ “Fair Elections Act” which was passed into law last year.
What are these effects, you ask? Lucky for you, we put together a list of four big ones, right here:
Party spending limits almost double
No, not like spending on cakes and streamers and other fun stuff.
Elections Canada sets spending limits for each campaign, based on the number of electors and candidates registered.
This year, the limit for a 37-day campaign (the legislated minimum number of days the writ period can last) is expected to be around $25 million; Elections Canada will release a precise figure once the writ is dropped.
READ MORE: Conservatives push through controversial overhaul of election rules
Back in 2011, before the Conservatives’ election reforms passed into law, the spending limit was set and fixed —it didn’t matter if the campaign lasted 37 days or 137 days, parties could only spend that much.
The idea of imposing the spending limit was, in large part, to help ensure the parties were all on level ground.
But now, enter that little clause with a big impact.
Fact file: Federal campaign periods and spending limits
This one amendment increases the spending limit by 1/37th of the initial limit for every day the campaign extends.
So, say the 37-day limit is $25 million. After one month, each party is looking at adding a cool $20.3 million to the limit —if they have it.
For reference: Since the 2011 election, the Conservatives have raised almost $69 million, the Liberals more than $43 million and the NDP roughly $30.5 million, according to figures filed with Election Canada as of June.
Taxpayers’ share of the bill could increase
Before the writ drops, parties can spend however much they like on whatever they like. But, it goes without saying, they’d be wise to save for the campaign.
There’s the obvious advantage of being able spend the limit during a campaign (bigger rallies, more partisan ads, more criss-crossing the country, etc.).
But there’s also a less obvious advantage; taxpayers subsidize 50 per cent of what a party spends on its national campaign during the writ period (so long as that party receives as least two per cent support).
In a nutshell, a longer campaign means a higher spending limit and the more a party spends, the bigger the taxpayer-backed subsidy it gets.
WATCH: Liberal MP Marc Garneau blasted Conservative “hypocrisy” for campaigning on saving money, while spending taxpayer dollars on a long election campaign.
Third-party advertising reined in
While the campaign trail could squeeze a party’s budget, some get a little boost from organizations that hold similar values and have the resources to produce advertising.
These groups are more common in the United States, where they’re called PACs (political action committees), though a few have recently made an entry to the Canadian political scene.
READ MORE: Third-party political ads don’t go with fair elections, says former elections chief
The concern with PACs, both above and below the 49th parallel, is that between campaigns, they can spend as much money as they want without having to abide by spending rules.
Moreover, third-party organizations don’t have to reveal where they’re getting donations.
But all that carefree spending comes to a screeching halt once the writ is dropped and third-party spending becomes strictly limited and monitored through Elections Canada.
History in the making
Because of an amendment passed in 1996, federal campaigns have to last at least 36 days, with election day falling on the 37th.
(There’s no explicit maximum length for campaigns, but the Charter stipulates Parliament has to sit at least once every 12 months. So that leaves about 10 months of the year that could, feasibly, be spent campaigning.)
Here’s the thing, though: Only one election since that law passed in 1996 lasted longer than the legislated minimum; the 2005-06 election straddled the new year, lasting 55 days. Needless to say, the 2015 election will eclipse that.
READ MORE: Stephen Harper expected to make early federal election call this weekend
In fact, with all signs pointing to a Sunday writ drop, the 42nd general election stands to be the longest in modern Canadian history.
Projected to last a staggering 11 weeks, only the country’s first and second elections will have run longer than this one stands to. (In fairness, though, everything was different back then. For example, voting days were staggered across the country instead of having polling day on the same day for everyone.)
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