The Mark Carney government’s new elections-rules bill includes a loophole that will let dark money fund third-party advertisers during future election campaigns, a transparency watchdog says.
“They’re fine with the undemocratic influence of wealthy interests … in Canada’s elections and policy-making processes,” Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch, said of the Liberals.
Bill C-25, the Strong and Free Elections Act, includes a provision regarding third-party groups that advertise during election periods.
The bill will require third parties to make public the identities of their financial donors — unless the third party receives less than 10 per cent of its revenue from contributions in the year before an election.
The loophole will allow wealthy individuals to pour money into third parties right now — because there is no federal election on the horizon — without ever having to disclose that fact to the public, Conacher said.
“One voter could spend millions influencing a federal election, mostly in secret,” Conacher told The Maple.
“If I had millions, I give it to three, four, five, a dozen different groups that I know advocate things I like, and I tell them I want them to use it during the next election and all of their fiscal year ends are the end of June, so I give it to them now.”
“[An] election is called a year and a half from now, and they don’t have to disclose that I’m the source of the millions.”
Conservative MP Michael Cooper tabled an amendment which would have closed the 10 per cent loophole at a committee on May 28.
Liberal MPs Sherry Romanado, Jessica Fancy, Matt Jeneroux, Arielle Kayabaga, Tim Louis and Anita Vandenbeld voted it down.
In an email, a spokesperson for Liberal Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon said the provision was recommended by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada.
Billionaire Funds Third Party
The roles of third parties in Canada’s elections have become more closely scrutinized since groups like Canada Proud and Ontario Proud started racking up hundreds of thousands of followers on Facebook.
Canada Proud reportedly spent more than $100,000 on anti-Justin Trudeau messaging during the 2019 federal election campaign.
In 2025, groups like the anti-abortion Campaign Life Coalition, Rebel News, and numbered companies registered as third parties in the federal election.
Another third party, “Friends of Free Enterprise in Canada,” was funded entirely by $550,000 in donations from billionaire Prem Watsa, according to Elections Canada filings.
“It doesn’t make sense. It’s totally undemocratic,” said Conacher. “Why would you let one voter spend the same amount as a union with 100,000 members?”
The Strong and Free Elections Act will also roll back Trudeau-era changes that made political fundraising events more transparent.
Party leaders like Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre will once again be able to headline fundraisers at secret locations, without posting any information in advance.
NDP MP Don Davies submitted amendments to those changes back in 2025, but they were voted down by Liberal MPs at a committee last week. Davies did not respond to a request for an interview.
In its emailed response to The Maple, MacKinnon’s office said the changes are necessary to protect people who host political fundraisers.
“We are seeing people’s addresses published online before a fundraising event and harassing behaviour is occurring that limits the rights of people to participate in the democratic process. This is a security concern that needs to be addressed.”
“Information about the event will be publicly released after it has occurred, including the names of participants. This will ensure continued transparency, while providing people greater protection from harassment and intimidation at an event.”
