Within the context of the Canada Elections Act (CEA), there are approximately 1,300 financial agents of electoral district associations who are actively playing a role in fulfilling the annual financial reporting obligations and the day-to-day activities of registered associations. Similarly, during a general election, there are approximately 1,800 official agents of candidates who strive to fulfill similar roles.
Although the CEA provides no explicit direction on Elections Canada’s roles and responsibilities for the training and professional development of agents of registered political entities, Regulatory Instruments and Systems (RIS) has put in place various support and training measures to assist agents in complying with the legislation.
Its existing strategy relies on measures such as a website that is rich in educational and informational material, brochures and mailings, live telephone support by specialists, and an annual roadshow of information sessions. These measures will continue to be used.
As recommended by various independent reports by private consultants, RIS is to develop and implement a comprehensive online training program with evaluations. The objective is to ensure that participants have the basic knowledge to carry out their activities.
