“The cards and flyers clearly oppose the re-election of Doug McCallum as Mayor of Surrey”
ELECTIONS BC on Wednesday announced that “Keep the RCMP in Surrey” had been fined $250 for “sponsoring election advertising without an authorization statement” in connection to this year’s municipal election.
In a letter to Ivan Scott of Keep the RCMP in Surrey (KTRIS) as a registered third party sponsor in the 2022 General Local Election, Elections BC’s Director of Investigations, Adam Barnes, on November 22 wrote: “Elections BC provided you with a copy of the Investigator’s report into this matter, which included his preliminary findings. You have not provided a response to the investigation report.”
He said: “On September 2, 2022, Elections BC received a complaint regarding flyers that were distributed by KTRIS, that lacked an authorization statement.
“Elections BC’s Compliance team remind[ed] your campaign to include all information required in an authorization statement going forward. The file was then forwarded to the Elections BC Investigations team for follow up.
“The Elections BC Investigator reached out to you and requested copies of the invoices for the ads, copies of the original ads and images of the ads.
“Your response indicated that KTRIS distributed both postcards and flyers that lacked an authorization statement. The cost for the post cards was $1,750, and the cost for the flyers was $1,774.40. While KTRIS commissioned 2000 post cards and 1000 flyers, only a few hundred were distributed before the error was caught. The cards and flyers directly oppose the re-election of Doug McCallum for Mayor of Surrey.”
Barnes in his “analysis and determination” said: “I have carefully reviewed the Investigator’s report, and I concur with his preliminary conclusions. The cards and flyers clearly oppose the re-election of Doug McCallum as Mayor of Surrey, they [were] distributed during the pre-campaign period, and they lacked an authorization statement as required by section 44(1) of LECFA (Local Elections Campaign Financing Act].
“I find that paying to print, and subsequently distribute, the post cards and flyers contravened section 44(1) of LECFA.”
He noted: “Because of my finding above, s. 68.25(1) of LECFA requires me to issue an administrative monetary penalty against you, of up to $10,000.”
Taking into consideration various factors, Barnes said he made the finding that “Keep the RCMP in Surrey, registered third party sponsor, contravened section 44(1) of LECFA, and must pay a penalty of $250 to the Chief Electoral Officer of BC, under section 68.25(2)(b) of that act.”
He said Scott could request a review of this determination by an adjudicator or he could seek relief from the BC Supreme Court from the monetary penalties.
