The relevant sections are, I believe:<br><br><blockquote style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;" class="gmail_quote"><p class="headnote-e">Categorization of expenses
</p><p class="section-e"> <a name="BK1"></a><strong>2. </strong>For
the purposes of sections 4 to 15, the following rules apply in determining
whether an amount of expenses is incurred for referendum advertising:</p><p class="paragraph-e"> 1. An amount that is paid
by a referendum campaign organizer for referendum advertising is included
whether it is paid before, during or after the referendum period.</p><p class="paragraph-e"> 2. If a combined amount is
paid for both referendum advertising and other advertising, the amount shall be
apportioned according to when the advertising appears. <br></p></blockquote>Take a close look at 2.2 above.<br><blockquote style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;" class="gmail_quote">
<p class="headnote-e">Prohibition</p><p class="section-e"> <a name="BK2"></a><strong>3. </strong>(1) No
person or entity shall organize a campaign to promote a particular result in the
referendum or advertise for that purpose unless the person or entity is
registered with the Chief Election Officer under section 4.</p><p class="subsection-e"> (2) Subsection (1) does
not apply in respect of,</p><p class="clause-e"> (a) pre-referendum advertising;
or</p><p class="clause-e"> (b) referendum advertising if the
related referendum advertising expense does not exceed $500.</p></blockquote>
<br><blockquote style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;" class="gmail_quote"><p class="headnote-e">Registration</p><p class="section-e"> <a name="BK3"></a><strong>
4. </strong>(1) A
referendum campaign organizer shall apply for registration under this section
immediately after having incurred expenses of a total amount of $500 for
referendum advertising.<br></p></blockquote><div>...<br><br><blockquote style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;" class="gmail_quote">(6) A referendum
campaign organizer may not be registered under this section if it is a
registered party or constituency association as defined in the <em>Election Finances Act</em>. </blockquote></div><br>Now, I'm not an expert or anything, but it seems to me that this would prevent parties registering as referendum campaigns. This therefore means that they cannot spend over $500 on campaign advertising. As far as I can tell, they can campaign up to $500 worth, which also means, I'm sure, that any advertising which is free can be used to mention the referendum campaign. I don't see anything here about candidates having to keep their mouths shut.
<br><br><blockquote style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;" class="gmail_quote"><p class="headnote-e">Prohibition, use of certain contributions</p><p class="section-e">
<a name="BK9"></a><strong>10. </strong>(1) No
referendum campaign organizer shall use a contribution for the purpose of
referendum advertising unless it is made by,</p><p class="clause-e"> (a) an individual ordinarily
resident in Ontario;</p><p class="clause-e"> (b) a corporation that,</p><p class="subclause-e"> (i) carries on
business in Ontario, and</p><p class="subclause-e"> (ii) is not a
registered charity within the meaning of subsection 248 (1) of the <em>Income Tax Act</em> (Canada); or</p><p class="clause-e"> (c) a trade union as defined in
the <em>Election Finances Act</em>.</p><p class="subsection-e"> (2) No referendum
campaign organizer shall use for the purpose of referendum advertising a
contribution that is made during the period described in clause 9 (1) (a) if
the referendum campaign organizer does not know the name and address of the
contributor or is otherwise unable to determine within which class of contributor
referred to in subsection 14 (6) they fall.</p></blockquote>
This means that parties cannot contribute to referendum campaigns.<br><br>And here's something which may apply to us. Note the time period. July 10 is this Tuesday.<br><blockquote style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;" class="gmail_quote">
<p class="headnote-e">Duties of chief financial officer</p><p class="section-e"><strong> <a name="BK8"></a>9. </strong>(1) Every contribution that is made to a registered
referendum campaign organizer shall be accepted by its chief financial officer
if,</p><p class="clause-e"> (a) it is made during the period
that begins on July 10, 2007 and ends on January 10, 2008; and</p><p class="clause-e"> (b) it is made for the purpose
of referendum advertising.</p><p class="subsection-e"> (2) Every referendum
advertising expense that is incurred by or on behalf of a registered referendum
campaign organizer shall be authorized by its chief financial officer.</p><p class="subsection-e"> (3) The chief financial
officer may delegate a function described in subsection (1) or (2) to another
person, but the delegation does not limit the chief financial officer's
responsibility.</p></blockquote>
<br>I hope I haven't bored you all and have actually summarized the document in a sane way (so that you won't be forced to go read it all yourself)<br><br>Cheers,<br>Derek<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">2007/7/7, Derek Kraan <
<a href="mailto:derek.kraan@gmail.com">derek.kraan@gmail.com</a>>:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">I've found Regulation 211. It's not easily found - Google hasn't a clue where it is.
<br><br>However, a quick search at <a href="http://www.gov.on.ca" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">www.gov.on.ca</a> will reveal its location:<br><br><a href="http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Source/Regs/English/2007/R07211_e.htm" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Source/Regs/English/2007/R07211_e.htm</a><br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">2007/7/7, Paul Nijjar <<a href="mailto:pnijjar@sdf.lonestar.org" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
pnijjar@sdf.lonestar.org</a>>:</span>
<div><span class="e" id="q_113a3504eaccdc0b_1"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><br> Eleanor forwarded me this press release. I am sending it along
<br>because it makes even stronger claims than I was with respect to political
<br>parties campaigning in the referendum -- it says that parties and<br>candidates can't even mention the referendum in their literature!<br><br> Is this true, or is the press release misleading us? Can we track
<br>down this "Regulation 211"?<br><br>- Paul<br><br>--<br>Paul Nijjar - <a href="http://www.fairvotecanada.org/WaterlooRegion" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.fairvotecanada.org/WaterlooRegion
</a><br>Next electoral reform info night: Tuesday July 10, 7pm
<br><br>----- Original Message -----<br>From: Mart4<br>Sent: Friday, July 06, 2007 6:29 AM<br>Subject: 'Putting a gag order on Democracy!' Fw: CPC (O) Referendum OP ED: "Loading the Dice on the Referendum"
<br><br><br>Forward from mart<br><br>IMPORTANT!<br>PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY!<br><br>'Putting a gag order on Democracy!'<br> - mart<br>------------------------------------<br><br>CPC (O) Referendum OP ED:<br>"Loading the Dice on
<br>the Referendum"<br><br>============================<br>----- Original Message -----<br>From: Liz Rowley <a href="mailto:rowley@cpc-pcc.ca" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
rowley@cpc-pcc.ca</a><br>Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 4:51 PM<br>Subject: OP ED article on the
<br>Referendum: CPC (O)<br><br>Communist Party of Canada (Ontario)<br>Parti communiste du Canada (Ontario)<br><br>290A Danforth Avenue,<br>Toronto, ON M4K 1N6<br> Tel: 416-469-2446<br><br>July 5, 2007<br><br>News Directors, Opinion Page and
<br>Editorial Editors:<br><br>The following is an article written by Elizabeth<br>Rowley, leader of the Communist Party of<br>Canada (Ontario) regarding the October 10th<br>Referendum. Ms Rowley can be reached at<br>416-469-2446, or 416-694-4976.
<br><br>Loading the Dice on the<br>Referendum<br><br>By Elizabeth Rowley, Leader,<br>Communist Party of Canada (Ontario)<br><br>On July 10th you won't be able to read the<br>views of any political party, candidate or
<br>
incumbent on the subject of the October 10th<br>referendum on Mixed Member Proportional<br>Representation - an electoral reform proposed<br>by the Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform.<br><br>You won't see anything in candidates' or parties'
<br>election material either. There will be nothing on<br> their websites and nothing in their campaign<br>advertising.<br><br>That's because the McGuinty government has<br>issued Regulation 211 (an implementation<br>
directive from the government to Bill 155 on<br>the Referendum) making it illegal for political<br>parties and their candidates to "campaign to<br> promote a particular result in the<br>referendum"<br><br>Regulation 211 defines all written commentary
<br>on the Referendum as third party advertising.<br>Parties are banned from putting their positions<br>forward, and candidates who want to express<br>an opinion in their election material, campaign<br>ads, or website, must register as Registered
<br>Referendum Campaign Organizers under the law.<br>They will be required to act as third parties as well<br>as candidates, will be required to raise and spend<br>funds as third parties; will be required to file<br>financial reports with Elections Ontario as third
<br>parties. This is in addition to the Elections Act<br>requirements for candidates and parties to file<br>audited financial returns for the election period<br>with Elections Ontario.<br><br>Clearly the intent of Regulation 211 is to ban
<br>political parties, and gag candidates, from<br>participating in the very significant and<br>important public debate on MMP leading up<br>to October 10th. This is an extraordinary and<br>possibly unconstitutional limit on free speech
<br>and public debate. In fact, broad and probing<br>public debate is exactly what is needed in<br>considering the proposed change to our electoral<br>system. The public has a right to know where<br>the parties and candidates stand before they vote;
<br>and the parties and candidates have a<br>responsibility to state where they stand.<br><br>In view of the fact that the government and<br>the official opposition voted together last<br>spring to require a super majority of 60%
<br>for the referendum to pass, the public has<br>a particular interest in knowing where<br>these two parties stand.<br><br>Subsequently, the government has worded the<br>referendum question in a confusing way so<br>that the only possible answer is "yes", as in "
<br>Yes I support this", or "Yes I support that".<br>That's why opponents of MMP argue that<br>there isn't a No campaign. Literally true<br>perhaps, but cynical, political double-speak<br>nonetheless.
<br><br>In fact, concerns about a well-financed<br>media campaign against MMP in the weeks<br>leading up to October 10th are well founded.<br>There are no spending limits for third parties<br>campaigning in the referendum, and no real
<br>time disclosure of financial contributions to<br>those campaigns. Corporations and<br>individuals opposed to electoral reform are<br>likely to have very deep pockets, and there<br>is nothing to prevent them from using the
<br>limitless contribution rule to purchase big<br>media ads in the last weeks of the campaign.<br>But the public won't know who financed the<br>big ad campaigns until 6 months after the<br>vote is over.<br><br>Meanwhile, voting in the referendum is
<br>about to get very difficult for 650,000<br>students, many of whom will be first-time<br>voters or on campuses October 10th.<br>Those living away from home will find it<br>hard to get on the voters' list, and to get
<br>their referendum (and election) ballots,<br>despite the hype about getting out the<br>youth vote. New requirements for voter<br>identification put the onus on voters to<br> prove their eligibility to vote, while old
<br>requirements refusing students living on<br>campus the right to vote on campus, leave<br>students the option of going home to vote<br>in advance polls or giving their proxy to<br> someone else. Expect long line-ups at
<br>polls, as young and not-so-young voters<br>try to get their ballots.<br><br>So what is this really about? Why so many<br>obstacles? The answer is that the Liberals<br>(who claim to be neutral) and the Tories<br>(who claim not to have a position) do not
<br>want to be seen as opposing a popular<br>electoral reform that, if passed, could<br>sharply reduce the number of Legislative<br>seats each will have in future.<br><br>The heart of the matter is that MMP will<br>distribute Legislative seats on the more
<br>democratic basis of the popular vote that<br>each party receives. This will end the<br>century-long practice of majority<br>governments elected by a minority of voters.<br> It will open the door to coalition government
<br>and a more productive Legislature. And,<br>despite the 3% threshold, it means many more<br>votes will be counted, opening the door to<br>small parties with big ideas, such as the Green<br>Party and the Communist Party, neither of
<br>which is currently represented.<br><br>Polls show that the public supports electoral<br> reform in Ontario (and nationally). Leading<br>into the election, Ontario's Liberal<br>government and Tory opposition want to
<br>appear to support democratic reform. But<br>their actions don't support their words.<br><br>Facilitating democracy would mean rescinding<br>Regulation 211 which gags candidates and<br>parties, rescinding the super-majority required
<br>for the referendum to pass, capping third party<br>spending and requiring real time disclosure so<br>that contributors financing the referendum<br>campaigns would be publicly known before<br>the vote, requiring spending on lawn signs to
<br>be included in candidate and party election<br>spending limits, introducing new rules to<br>allow young people to vote where they live<br>on election day, and replacing new voting<br>ID requirements with regular enumeration
<br>and voting cards.<br><br>Post-script: Elections Ontario has just<br>effectively raised spending limits for<br>candidates in the October 10th election,<br>without even a whisper in the Legislature<br>or the media. Worth ten to twenty
<br>thousand dollars to Liberal and Tory<br>candidates, election lawn signs purchased<br>and planted on or before September 9th<br>will be excluded as an election expense<br>because the Writ period begins September<br>10. In a 29-day election campaign, money
<br>counts. Democracy, not so much.<br><br>- 30 -<br>==============================<br><br>_______________________________________________<br>fvc-wat-disc mailing list<br><a href="mailto:fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
fvc-wat-disc@listserv.thinkers.org</a><br><a href="http://listserv.thinkers.org/mailman/listinfo/fvc-wat-disc" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://listserv.thinkers.org/mailman/listinfo/fvc-wat-disc
</a><br></blockquote></span></div></div><br>
</blockquote></div><br>