In Canada, there are no limits to what a "third party" (industry associations, unions, individuals, special interest groups, etc.) can spend on political advertising pre-campaign — spending rules are only in force once the writ is dropped and the campaign has officially begun. A person or group must register as a third party immediately after incurring election advertising expenses totalling $500 or more. There are strict limits on advertising expenses, as well as specific limits that can be incurred to promote or oppose the election of one or more candidates in a particular electoral district.
It is illegal for a third party and a registered political party or a candidate to collude with each other for the purpose of circumventing the maximum amount that a registered party is allowed for election expenses.
Registered third parties
There were 112 registered third parties in the 2015 federal election: A partial list includes the following:
Canadian Media Guild
Canadian Medical Association
Diane Babcock
Dogwood Initiative
Downtown Mission of Windsor Inc. (external link)
Fair Vote Canada
Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
IATSE
Leadnow Society (external link)
Les Sans-Chemise (Conseil National des Chômeurs et Chômeuses, National Council of Unemployed People; external link, in French)
UNIFOR
Voters Against Harper
2015 Advertising Spending Limits
Total election advertising expenses limit: $439,410.81
Total election advertising expenses limit in a given electoral district: $8,788.22
There were 55 registered third parties in the 2011 federal election:
Ashraf Ali Rao
Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC)
AVAAZ
BC Health Coalition
BCWF Political Action Alliance
British Columbia Nurses' Union
British Columbia Teachers' Federation
Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
Canadian Health Coalition
Canadian Labour Congress
Canadian Multicultural Association
Canadian Shooting Sports Association
Canadian Union of Public Employees
Canadian Wheat Board Alliance
Canadians Defending Democracy
Canadians Rising Up For Democracy
Catch 22 Campaign
Catholic Civil Rights League
CAW-Canada
Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC)
Citizens for Truth in Politics
CMI – ICM Canadian Migration Institute
Coalition for Gun Control
Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC
Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP)
Conservation Voters of BC
Council of Senior Citizens' Organizations of British Columbia
Dogwood Initiative
Elizabeth Will Group
End Racism Now
Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
Gesher Canada
Immigration Practitioners and Academics for a Just Immigration Policy
International Fund for Animal Welfare Inc. (IFAW)
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
John W. Fossey
Kam-Wing Chiu
Les Sans-Chemise
Matilda Wong
National Citizens Coalition
Project Democracy
Public Service Alliance of Canada
Richmond Watch
Save Our Prison Farms
Smart Tax Alliance – BC
Society of Professional Engineers and Associates (SPEA)
Sport Fishing Institute of BC
The Council of Canadians
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada
UFCW Canada
Vancouver Fire Fighters' Union Local 18
Whip Harper
Wong John Gok Git
Yee Lai Leung
Yik-Lan Lo
