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Voters’ guide to Bill 42

Bill 42’s famous election-advertising section is now in effect, so The Hook brings you the exact wording plus some commentary.

The first part, technically known as 59 Section 228, is buried deep in Bill 42 and reads as follows:

“election advertising” means the transmission to the public by any means, during the period beginning 120 days before a campaign period and ending at the end of the campaign period, of an advertising message that promotes or opposes, directly or indirectly, a registered political party or the election of a candidate, including an advertising message that takes a position on an issue with which a registered political party or candidate is associated, but does not include

(a) the publication without charge of news, an editorial, an interview, a column, a letter, a debate, a speech or a commentary in a bona fide periodical publication or a radio or television program,

(b) the distribution of a book, or the promotion of the sale of a book, for no less than its commercial value, if the book was planned to be made available to the public regardless of whether there was to be an election,

(c) the transmission of a document directly by a person or a group to their members, employees or shareholders, or

(d) the transmission by an individual, on a non-commercial basis on the internet, or by telephone or text messaging, of his or her personal political views;

Division 2 - Election Advertising Limits sets out limits (Section 235.1) and penalties (235.2) for third-party advertising.

For a detailed discussion, The Hook recommends Just Shut Up BC. For further comment going back to 2008: small dead animals, the BCTF, and the Trial Lawyers Association of BC.

Crawford Kilian is a contributing editor of The Tyee.

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