Elections Canada announced Monday a reallocation of paid time for the 2015 federal election, created by the official deregistering of the Western Block Party earlier this year.
Built by controversial B.C. lawyer Doug Christie over three decades before his death in March 2013, the Western Block Party was deregistered as of Jan. 31 after failing to achieve the necessary 250 member signatures.
That led to a deduction of seven minutes and 30 seconds from the total broadcasting time allocation. Broadcasting arbitrator Peter S. Grant proposed to reallocate that time by adding 30 seconds to the time allocated to the 15 parties receiving the smallest amount of time.
Section 335 of the Canada Elections Act states that every broadcaster in Canada is required to make 390 minutes (six-and-a-half hours) of airtime available to registered political parties during a federal general election.
Under the reallocation announced Monday, that includes eight minutes and 30 seconds for the Pirate Party of Canada, eight minutes for the Marijuana Party and eight minutes for Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada. The Online Party of Canada receives the least amount of airtime—seven minutes.
Under the reallocation of airtime, the Conservative Party of Canada has 114 minutes of airtime, followed by the official opposition the NDP (84 minutes) and the Liberal Party of Canada (49 minutes). The Green Party of Canada will receive 22 minutes, followed by the Bloc Québécois (18 minutes).
James Wilson, leader of the Pirate Party of Canada, said his party plans to use its allotted time in the 2015 election, and is currently developing its election platform. The party did use its allotted time in the 2011 election, its first general election.
Wilson said the Pirate Party’s current ads have focused on current events, which he said is good practice for its campaign team in determining what makes a viable election ad.
