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Ontario Moves to End Fixed Election Dates and Lift Donation Limit to $5,000

The government says greater flexibility is needed to respond to external threats, with the proposals now headed for legislative scrutiny.

Overview

  • Attorney General Doug Downey introduced a bill to repeal fixed election dates, allowing a premier to call an early vote or serve a full five-year term.
  • The plan raises the annual individual donation cap to political parties from $3,400 to $5,000 starting in 2026, with future increases indexed to inflation.
  • The legislation would make the quarterly per-vote public subsidy for parties permanent rather than time-limited.
  • Strict spending limits on political parties and third-party groups would be removed, while third-party registration rules would tighten and Elections Ontario would gain added investigative powers.
  • The package was announced by news release without a technical briefing, and watchdog Democracy Watch warned the higher caps risk expanding wealthy donor influence.