Elections BC investigating 11 campaign finance violations

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim’s ABC party may currently be under investigation by Elections BC, but it is far from the only local civic party under the microscope.

Elections BC confirms it has 11 active investigations into campaign finances underway, most of them in Metro Vancouver.

That is a lot, according to one political watcher.

“It suggests that, on the one hand, changes in the rules regarding financing for civic campaigns are having an effect and that there are violations being investigated and perhaps we will see some fines resulting from those,” said Stewart Prest, a lecturer at the University of British Columbia’s Political Science Department.

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“But it also suggests … there perhaps is still a learning curve or, if you like, an experimentation as political parties continue to test the limits of this new normal.”

ABC Vancouver has been in the headlines most recently for an investigation into allegedly prohibited donations during the 2022 municipal election.

Elections BC won’t provide specific case details while an investigation is active, but online it lists another 10 civic parties it is currently looking at for potentially violating campaign finance laws.

In Vancouver, there is ABC, Vision Vancouver, Progress Vancouver, and Forward Together. Meanwhile, in Surrey it is looking at the Safe Surrey Coalition, Surrey Connect, Surrey First, and United Surrey.

The Burnaby Citizens Association, Richmond Community Coalition, and Kelowna’s Sprit Alliance are also under investigation by the provincial body.

“In some cases, we have evidence that campaigns are trying to go up against the edge of the rules and perhaps tipping over,” said Prest.

“But in some cases, particularly with smaller campaigns with relatively small staff, they may just be unable to stay on top of all the requirements these parties need to meet.”

Prest calls the rules around campaign financing a “cat and mouse” scenario as Elections BC tries to maintain a level playing field among all parties.

“We’ve really seen a transformation in recent years at the civic level from the ‘big donor’ model to the rosters of small donations. ABC in particular, has proven itself very effective at harnessing that form of donation. It does bear scrutiny to ensure these rules are not being skirted,” he explained.

According to Elections BC, individuals could contribute up to $1,250 to the election campaign of any one candidate, or elector organization and its endorsed candidates, for the 2022 general local elections.

ABC Vancouver is under investigation for allegedly violating those limits. The party repaid a reported $116,000 in donations made during its campaign.

“I think there’s room for additional transparency in how funds are coming into the political system and there’s always the possibility that we need stiffer penalties,” said Prest.

Of the 18 fines Elections BC levied in cases it resolved in 2024, most were in the range of a few hundred dollars for “accepting a prohibited contribution” but one Powell River city councillor was issued a $2,850 fine for eight different penalties stemming from the 2022 election.

Elections BC says if a fine is warranted after an investigation, it looks at a number of factors in determining the amount, including “the seriousness of the matter, whether the subject of the investigation cooperated with the investigation process, and any previous history of non-compliance with the relevant legislation.”

But it adds that, if a case is serious enough, it can also be referred to the BC Prosecution Service.

“There may always be opportunities to look for additional penalties where the threat is not enough to deter bad actors,” added Prest. “There’s always a possibility that if you find a way to skirt the rules in an election and you win, paying a fine is simply part of the price of doing business. We don’t want people making that calculation.”

Prest believes a balance can be found between keeping the electoral process as open as possible while keeping the playing field level for all civic candidates.

“It’s a clear priority for Canadians to ensure that money can’t determine the result of elections. This is something Elections BC and the provincial government really need to continually monitor and make sure we are getting as close as possible to the ideal balance.”

—With files from John Ackermann