Premiers Waging War On Trudeau Won’t Be Limited On Campaign-Style Spending

As conservative premiers wage war against the federal Liberals’ agenda, Elections Canada reconfirmed Tuesday that the provinces will be able to spend unlimited amounts of money campaigning against Justin Trudeau’s team in the lead-up to the general election this October.

The independent non-partisan agency that runs federal contests and is charged with applying and interpreting the election law said third-party rules don’t apply to provincial governments.

“It is Elections Canada’s view that if Parliament intended to restrict the advertising and other activities of provincial governments, it would have stated so explicitly in the Canada Elections Act,” agency spokeswoman Natasha Gauthier told HuffPost Canada.

Watch: Trudeau targets Doug Ford in campaign-style speech to mayors

Third parties are considered any person or group that isn’t a candidate, a riding association, or a registered political party. These individuals, organizations or corporations are legally allowed to participate in the election by trying to sway voters to one side or another, but many of their activities are regulated and their spending is capped.

Some groups are already active. Canadians watching Monday’s Game 5 of the NBA Finals with the Toronto Raptors would have noticed a series of ads by a group calling itself “Engage Canada.” The TV spots warned of Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s “weakness” and his desire to “follow” Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s cuts to health care and education.

Another group, calling itself “Shaping Canada’s Future,” ran an anti-Trudeau ad, with actors listing the prime minister’s purported failings. It echoed the Conservatives’ own ads against Trudeau before the 2015 campaign in which a panel reviewed the Liberal leader’s qualifications to hold the country’s top job.