By Matthew Daldalian
Action Laval violated Quebec’s municipal electoral law by offering three-year party memberships for $75, according to Élections Québec.
The party’s website previously listed four membership options: $25 for one year, $50 for two years, $75 for three years, and $25 for out-of-town members. Under the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities (LERM), a natural person may pay a maximum of $25 per year to join a political party.
Violations
Élections Québec confirmed last week that the practice violated the law. Any amount collected above the $25 annual limit is automatically considered a political contribution and must follow the province’s strict financing rules.
The electoral body added that parties cannot collect contributions in advance, since there is no guarantee, they will still be active in future years.
Action Laval has since modified its online membership form to remove the multi-year options and limit payments to the legal $25 maximum.
Other parties’ takes
Parti Laval leader Claude Larochelle said there is no doubt about the illegality of the practice.
“The Chief Electoral Officer confirmed that this practice goes against the Act respecting elections and referendums in municipalities,” Larochelle told The Laval News. “There’s no room for doubt here.”
He also criticized Action Laval’s leadership for knowingly breaking financing rules.
“Frédéric Mayer has been active in municipal politics for many years,” Larochelle said, referring to Action Laval’s mayoral candidate and deputy director of the opposition office. “It’s well established that he and the other party leaders know the rules. Right now, Action Laval and Mr. Mayer are campaigning with illegally collected funds. They must disclose and immediately repay the money they’ve received this way.”
The governing Mouvement Lavallois, with Mayor Stéphane Boyer at the helm, gave a measured response, stating that it remained focused on its campaign and “delivering concrete improvements to residents’ quality of life.”
Previous controversy
According to Élections Québec’s public filings, Action Laval reported a $3,790 deficit as of Jan. 1, 2025.
The party has also faced a series of controversies in recent years, including councillor Paolo Galati’s taxpayer-funded grocery reimbursements and councillor Aglaia Revelakis’s departure earlier this year after denouncing the party’s internal nomination process.
