The vast majority of Sudbury and Nickel Belt candidates in last year’s provincial election have filed campaign finances with Elections Ontario, with two exceptions.
Sudbury Liberal candidate David Farrow’s candidate financials are missing from online listings, with the associated Ontario Liberal Party - Sudbury riding association’s financials also yet to be filed.
The same applies to the Ontario Party - Sudbury riding association and their candidate, Jason Laface.
“It’s nothing nefarious,” Farrow told Sudbury.com, describing the missing documents as the product of a new constituency association, inexperienced candidate and bureaucratic bottleneck.
“Our returns have been either with the auditor or they have been cleared or gone through Elections Ontario,” Farrow said on Jan. 27 of the documents due Dec. 2, 2022.
“I’ve been in constant contact with Elections Ontario as well as the auditor.”
Describing the documents online appearance as “imminent,” Farrow said a robust auditing process and the Liberals’ small head office, which was contending with 124 candidates’ filings, slowed things down, but that they’re on the case.
Laface told Sudbury.com that his campaign finances will be submitted, but that his projected timeline was “none of your business.”
“We’re in the process of doing our paperwork,” he said. “We’ve been busy with the Ottawa stuff and that.”
The “Ottawa stuff” is reference to a $306-million class-action lawsuit targeting Freedom Convoy organizers and participants, for which Laface has been named one of the initial 17 defendants.
“We have learned a lot from our perspective,” said Farrow, who is now president of the Ontario Liberal Party’s Sudbury provincial riding association.
Elections Ontario told Sudbury.com they may face financial penalties if a person “knowingly fails to file financial statements,” which is an offence under the Election Finances Act.
Under the Election Finances Act, the candidate’s chief financial officer may face a fine of up to $5,000 and the candidate may face a fine of $50 for each day the default continues, if convicted.
Farrow said that because he has been in contact with Elections Ontario throughout the process it’s unlikely he or his association faces penalties.
Several other candidates and constituency associations in Sudbury and Nickel Belt filed their financials after the Dec. 2 deadline, but the documents now appear online.
The following are what the financial statements submitted thus far have to say. Where the numbers don’t add up, existing assets are often factored into the final surplus/deficit figure.
- Green Party of Ontario candidate David Robinson
- Constituency association had an income of $5,259.75 and expenses of $26,316.71, ending $21,056.96 in the hole.
- Candidate had an income of $25,918.86, spent $27,647.86 and ended up with a surplus of $3,761.21.
- Independent candidate David Popescu
- Campaign income of $145.68 in contributions and spent nothing.
- Ontario Libertarian Party candidate Adrien Berthier
- Campaign income totalled $252.79, expenses were $252.79 and the surplus was $158.92.
- None of the Above Direct Democracy Party (candidate David Sylvestre withdrew)
- Constituency association spent and took in nothing.
- New Blue Party of Ontario and candidate Sheldon Pressey
- Constituency association had an income of $2,153.79 and total campaign period expenses of $1,830.34, yielding a surplus of $323.45.
- Candidate had an income of $2,850.00 and expenses of $8,572.20, ending up with a deficit of $5,783.67.
- New Democratic Party of Ontario and candidate Jamie West
- Constituency association had an income of $14,375.46 and total campaign period expenses of $90,376.34, ending up with a $76,000.88 deficit.
- Candidate had total income of $96,238.37 and expenses of $92,220.47, ending the campaign period with a surplus of $36,389.97 after reimbursements and inventory.
- Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and candidate Marc Despatie
- Constituency association had an income of $7,968.83 and expenses of $47,790.74, ending with a $39,821.91 deficit.
- Candidate had an income of $75,361.81, and spent $68,041.65, leaving with a surplus of $20,708.94
- Green Party of Ontario and candidate Glenys Babcock
- Constituency association had an income of $326.36 and campaign expenses of $6, ending the period with a surplus of $320.36
- Candidate had an income and expenditure of nothing.
- Ontario Liberal Party and candidate Gilles Proulx
- Constituency association had an income and expenditure of nothing.
- Candidate had an income of $10,984.58, expenses of $12,630.99 and ended up with a surplus of $13,404.47.
- None of the Above Direct Democracy Party (candidate Bailey Burch-Belanger withdrew)
- Constituency association had an income and expenditure of nothing.
- New Blue Party of Ontario and candidate Melanie Savoie
- Constituency association had an income of $2,384.86 and total campaign expenses of $2,636.68, ending with a $251.82 deficit.
- Candidate had an income of $7,380.50 and expenses of $4,980.50, ending with a surplus of $2,400.00.
- New Democratic Party of Ontario and candidate France Gélinas
- Constituency association had an income of $39,344.65 and expenses of $60,956.48, ending with a $21,611.83 deficit.
- Candidate had an income of $96,141.13 and expenses of $100,160.10, ending with a surplus of $14,837.44.
- Ontario Party and candidate Willy Schneider
- Constituency association had an income of $1,425.00 and expenses of $1,577.84, ending with a deficit of $152.84.
- Candidate had an income of $1,425.00 and expenditures of $1,577.84, ending with a deficit of $152.84.
- Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and candidate Randy Hazlett
- Constituency association had an income of $10,116.21 and campaign expenses totalling $49,263.20, ending with a deficit of $39,146.99.
- Candidate had an income of $27,027.44, expenses of $27,027.44 and a surplus of $19,638.07.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
