CRTC now accepting registrations for parties, groups using robocalls

By: The Canadian Press Posted: 1:18 PM CDT Monday, Aug. 16, 2021 Last Modified: 1:39 PM CDT Monday, Aug. 16, 2021

OTTAWA - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission says political parties and candidates can now use its voter contact registry, established to protect Canadians from "rogue and misleading telephone calls" during federal elections.

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This article was published 16/08/2021 (1515 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA – The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission says political parties and candidates can now use its voter contact registry, established to protect Canadians from “rogue and misleading telephone calls” during federal elections.

It’s now accepting registrations from parties, candidates and groups using a calling service provider to contact voters during the election, and they must register with the CRTC within 48 hours of making their first call.

The requirement also applies to anyone doing their own robocalls, but doesn’t apply for groups using their own services to make live calls.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau gives an employee an elbow bump as he and Liberal candidate for the riding of Longueuil-Saint-Hubert, Florence Gagnon, are given a tour of ETI Converting Equipment's facility by ETI President Maxime Bayzelon in Longueuil, Que. on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. ETI's website says they are a globally innovative manufacturer of in-line coating and printing equipment dedicated to the label printing industry. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

People who break the rules can be fined up to $1,500 and corporations can be fined up to $15,000.

The registry was established following a flood of complaints about robocalls in the 2011 election, including calls claiming to be from Elections Canada telling people their poll location had changed.

A former junior Conservative campaign staffer was the lone person charged in the scandal and in 2014 was convicted under the Canada Elections Act of wilfully preventing or endeavouring to prevent an elector from voting.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2021.