Election spending inflation factor set

Summary#

The Canada Gazette (Part I) on February 21, 2026 published two short parliamentary notices: a routine House of Commons item about Standing Order 130 and an update from the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer setting the inflation adjustment used under the Canada Elections Act for the one-year period starting April 1, 2026. The Gazette lists the adjustment as 195.5 (and also shows a second number that appears to be 1.8001086, but the printed line has a formatting glitch).

What it does#

• Notes that Standing Order 130 (rules about notices of intended applications for private bills) was previously published and gives contact details for the Private Members’ Business Office. This is an administrative reminder, not a new rule.
• Sets the inflation adjustment factor under the Canada Elections Act for the year beginning April 1, 2026 as 195.5 (also shown as 1.8001086 in the text; the source formatting is unclear). That factor is used to calculate:
  • limits on election expenses for candidates,
  • limits on partisan advertising and election expenses for registered parties,
  • limits on partisan activity, partisan advertising, election advertising and election survey expenses for third parties,
  • audit subsidy payments for registered associations, nomination contestants, candidates and leadership contestants.

Who's affected#

• Candidates in federal elections and people running for party nominations or leadership.
• Registered parties and their campaign planners.
• Third parties that run partisan advertising, election advertising or surveys.
• Registered associations that claim audit subsidies.
• People or groups thinking about private bills — the Private Members’ Business Office and those who deal with House of Commons private-bill notices.

Why it matters#

• The inflation adjustment changes how spending limits and subsidy amounts are calculated for the coming year. That affects campaign budgets, how much parties and third parties can spend on advertising, and how much audit subsidy groups may receive.
• The Standing Order notice is mainly administrative but points to where people seeking private bills can get help.
• The published number for the adjustment contains a formatting oddity. If you need the exact figure for planning or legal purposes, check directly with Elections Canada or the Canada Gazette entry to confirm.