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 GuildCanadian Medical AssociationDiane BabcockDogwood InitiativeDowntown Mission of Windsor Inc. (external link)Fair Vote CanadaFriends of Canadian BroadcastingIATSELeadnow Society (external link)Les Sans-Chemise (Conseil National des Chômeurs et Chômeuses, National Council of Unemployed People; external link, in French)UNIFORVoters Against Harper2015 Advertising Spending Limits
Total election advertising expenses limit: $439,410.81Total election advertising expenses limit in a given electoral district: $8,788.22There were 55 registered third parties in the 2011 federal election:
Ashraf Ali RaoAssociation of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC)AVAAZBC Health CoalitionBCWF Political Action AllianceBritish Columbia Nurses' UnionBritish Columbia Teachers' FederationCanadian Alliance of Student AssociationsCanadian Health CoalitionCanadian Labour CongressCanadian Multicultural AssociationCanadian Shooting Sports AssociationCanadian Union of Public EmployeesCanadian Wheat Board AllianceCanadians Defending DemocracyCanadians Rising Up For DemocracyCatch 22 CampaignCatholic Civil Rights LeagueCAW-CanadaChild Care Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC)Citizens for Truth in PoliticsCMI – ICM Canadian Migration InstituteCoalition for Gun ControlCoalition of Child Care Advocates of BCCommunications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP)Conservation Voters of BCCouncil of Senior Citizens' Organizations of British ColumbiaDogwood InitiativeElizabeth Will GroupEnd Racism NowFriends of Canadian BroadcastingGesher CanadaImmigration Practitioners and Academics for a Just Immigration PolicyInternational Fund for Animal Welfare Inc. (IFAW)International Association of Machinists and Aerospace WorkersJohn W. FosseyKam-Wing ChiuLes Sans-ChemiseMatilda WongNational Citizens CoalitionProject DemocracyPublic Service Alliance of CanadaRichmond WatchSave Our Prison FarmsSmart Tax Alliance – BCSociety of Professional Engineers and Associates (SPEA)Sport Fishing Institute of BCThe Council of CanadiansThe Professional Institute of the Public Service of CanadaUFCW CanadaVancouver Fire Fighters' Union Local 18Whip HarperWong John Gok GitYee Lai LeungYik-Lan Lo