Attorney General and Minister of Justice Suzanne Anton released the following statement:

“Today, the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed Election Act provisions requiring third-party sponsors of election advertising to register with the chief electoral officer.

“The provisions of the Election Act were adopted in 1995, in order to achieve transparency by allowing citizens to inform themselves about who is speaking and seeking to influence their vote.

“The court accepted the Province’s position that the law is limited to sponsors who pay others for election advertising services or receive services free of charge as a contribution, and that it does not apply to those who wear political t-shirts, put up homemade signs, or other similar expression.

“Registering is easy. It requires filling out a one-page form. Elections BC staff are available to answer any questions about registration.

“The B.C. government believes that the B.C. electoral process should be fair, transparent and accountable – and this provision does just that.”