A code of ethics or code of conduct for political parties as a potential tool to strengthen electoral democracy in Canada

The purpose of this discussion paper is to identify the advantages and disadvantages of adopting a code of conduct or code of ethics concerning the behaviour of political parties as collectivities and of the various types of people associated with them. [...] In contrast, Elections Canada was the most trusted institution, with 80 percent of respondents saying they had “quite a lot” or “a great deal” of confidence in the agency.1 These findings are important to the later discussion of how adoption of a code might strengthen public trust in political parties and confidence in the integrity of the election and the wider political process. [...] Currently being implemented, the new Act relocated the Office of the Commissioner of Canada Elections to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, which in turn is located within the Department of Justice. [...] By consenting to adhere to the code, all parties and a wide range of other actors in the electoral and wider political processes are committed to act in such a manner as to maintain and to enhance “public confidence in the integrity of the political process.”5 Several passages in the Manitoba code (see Appendix B) imply that its application goes beyond the campaign process to include the more gene [...] A code could fill gaps in the scope of the Act and provide for a wider range of remedies for actions or inactions that do not rise to the level of criminality but involve bending the rules and/or violating the spirit of the law.