Canada Elections Act expands security expense reimbursements

Summary#

The House of Commons published a routine notice about private bills and the Private Members’ Business Office. The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer says some recent changes to the Canada Elections Act, made by the Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and to enact An Act to change the names of certain electoral districts, 2026 (S.C. 2026, c. 20), are ready to apply and may be used in an election as of October 17, 2026. One clear practical change is a new reimbursement rule for certain campaign expenses for candidates, including security costs.

What it does#

• Reminds people that Standing Order 130 (about notices for intended private bills) was published earlier and gives contact details for the Private Members’ Business Office, House of Commons. This is an administrative notice for bill sponsors and the House.
• Brings into operation several amendments to the Canada Elections Act. Key points:
  • Adds “expenses related to security” to the list of campaign expenses that the law recognizes (these are added as paragraph 378(1)(e)).
  • Requires campaign returns to indicate which reported expenses fall into the listed expense categories.
  • Keeps the existing 60% reimbursement rules for many personal campaign expenses.
  • Creates a specific reimbursement for the new security expense category: 65% reimbursement of those paid security expenses, up to a maximum of $3,250.
  • Applies those reimbursement rules in several related refund and reporting provisions so the new security-expense reimbursement is covered consistently.
  • Says these amendments may apply to an election held on the date the notice was published (October 17, 2026).

Who's affected#

• Federal election candidates and their campaign teams. They will need to track and report security-related costs separately to claim the new reimbursement.
• Political parties and campaign accountants who prepare campaign returns and apply for reimbursements.
• People or firms who provide security services to candidates (because campaigns may be more likely to pay for those services knowing some costs are reimbursable).
• Election administrators and the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, who must accept and process the new reporting and reimbursement rules.
• Ordinary voters are not directly affected, though the change could influence where campaign money is spent.

Why it matters#

• Candidates can now get partial help paying for security: they can recover 65% of eligible security expenses, up to $3,250, which could make it easier for candidates to hire security in risky situations.
• Campaigns must separately identify security expenses in their financial reports. That changes bookkeeping and could affect how campaigns budget and pay vendors.
• Because the notice says the changes may apply immediately (on October 17, 2026), they could influence spending if an election is called soon after that date.
• The private-bills note is mainly procedural: it tells potential sponsors and the House where to get information and does not itself change public policy.