Northwest Territories Legislature Recommends Reappointment of Elections NWT’s Chief Electoral Officer

On March 4, the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories recommended to the Commissioner the reappointment of Stephen Dunbar as Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for a second consecutive four-year term.

The CEO is an officer of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, appointed by the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories to a four-year term, and reporting to the Legislative Assembly through the Speaker.

According to the Public Affairs and Communications division of the legislature, Dunbar is currently leading a full repeal and replacement of the Elections and Plebiscites Act and is engaging with the NWT Association of Communities to discuss expanding Elections NWT’s mandate.

Dunbar, who was born and raised in the Northwest Territories, was appointed CEO of Elections NWT on November 25, 2021.

Beginning March 8, subaward reporting for U.S. Federal contracts will be enabled through SAM.gov instead of FSRS.gov.

On March 6, 2025, the federal government decommissioned The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Sub-award Reporting System (FSRS) through its FSRS.gov website. Data was able to be entered into the FSRS.gov system until the close of business on March 6. Visitors to FSRS.gov are redirected to SAM.gov/FSRS beginning March 7.

Federal Acquisition Regulation §52.204-10 requires prime contractors awarded a federal contract or order to file a FFATA sub-award report by the end of the month following the month in which the prime contractor awards any sub-contract greater than $30,000.

The federal lobbying registration threshold for organizations employing in-house lobbyists has been increased. Now, an organization employing in-house lobbyists whose total expenses in connection with lobbying activities do not exceed and are not expected to exceed $16,000 in the quarterly period is not required to be registered. The previous level was $14,000.

This threshold amount is adjusted every four years based on the Consumer Price Index.

A lobbying firm or individual lobbyist whose total income for matters relating to lobbying activities on behalf of a particular client does not exceed or is not expected to exceed $3,500 in the quarterly period is exempt from registration with respect to such client. The previous level was $3,000.

Other determinations for registration include whether a lobbyist is an individual who, with respect to a particular client, makes more than one lobbying contact and whose lobbying activities constitute at least 20% of the individual’s time in services for that client over any three-month period.

On April 14, a Canadian federal by-election will be held in the electoral district of Halifax (Nova Scotia) to fill a vacancy in the House of Commons. On March 2, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau officially announced the district’s by-election date. Member of Parliament Andy Fillmore, who had occupied the seat, resigned on August 31 of last year to run for Halifax mayor.

Because the vacancy occurred more than nine months before Canada’s fixed general election date of October 20, 2025, the by-election will take place before then. If a general election is called before election day for the by-election in Halifax, the by-election will be canceled.

On March 18, Manitoba will hold a by-election for the provincial constituency of Transcona. Advance voting will begin on March 8.

The vacancy in Transcona was created by the passing of the late Nello Altomare, former member of the legislative assembly for Transcona, on Jan. 14, according to the government’s press release.

The election was called on February 18, which started the campaign period.

Sometime before August 21, a by-election will be held for the seat of District 15 Brackley-Hunter River in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island.

This by-election will be called because of the resignation of  Premier Dennis King, who resigned on February 21.

King has indicated he no longer wished to remain in politics.

The Election Act states the by-election Writ of Election must be issued within six months from the date the members seat is vacated.

On July 15, there will be a special election for the Ward 8 seat of the Council of the District of Columbia.

Trayon White, who was re-elected to the seat in 2024, was expelled from the council by a unanimous vote of his co-councilmembers earlier this month. The reason for the expulsion stems from pending federal corruption charges against White, who ran and was elected while facing these charges.

White, who has served in the council position since 2016, could choose to run again because he has not been found guilty of the charges against him.

Sometime before August 11, a by-election will be held for the seat of District 9 Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island.

This by-election will be called because of the resignation of MLA Natalie Jameson, who resigned on February 11. Jameson will be the Conservative Party of Canada’s candidate for Charlottetown in the next federal election.

The Election Act states the by-election Writ of Election must be issued within six months from the date the members seat is vacated.

On March 17, a provincial by-election in Quebec will be held in the electoral division of Terrebonne, located in Lanaudière region, for the Quebec National Assembly.

The election will be held to fill the vacant seat of former Member of the National Assembly Pierre Fitzgibbon, a member of the governing Coalition Avenir Québec, who resigned on September 4, 2024.

The by-election was announced by the government of Quebec on February 11.

On February 10, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order pausing enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

The FCPA is a federal law aimed at preventing the bribery of governmental officials of foreign nations by individuals and entities under the jurisdiction of the United States. The act is unique because its goal is not to curtail unethical and illegal behavior of U.S. governmental officials, but to govern the ethical and legal behavior of corporations and individuals doing business overseas.

In his Executive Order, President Trump states the reason for the pause is “FCPA enforcement impedes the United States’ foreign policy objectives and therefore implicates the President’s Article II authority over foreign affairs.” The order states there is “overexpansive and unpredictable” enforcement “for routine business practices in other nations.”

The order requires the U.S. Attorney General to cease initiating new investigations unless they are determined necessary. It also calls for a review by the Attorney General of current FCPA guidelines and policies within the next 180 days, with new guidelines and policies issued if the Attorney General sees fit.

On February 3, the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, Stéphane Perrault, received official notice from the Speaker of the House of Commons that the seat for Esquimalt–Saanich–Sooke (British Columbia) is vacant.

After 14 years as a member of parliament, Randall Garrison resigned from the seat in December because of health concerns.

Under the law, if a vacancy occurs less than nine months before the fixed date for a general election, no by-election is called and the seat remains vacant until the general election., which must take place by October 20, 2025. Therefore, no by-election will be held to fill this vacant seat.

Today, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) published its price index adjustments for expenditure limitations and the federal lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold.

The lobbyist bundling disclosure threshold has increased for 2025 from $22,700 to $23,300. This threshold amount is adjusted annually. Federal law requires authorized committees of federal candidates, leadership political action committees (PACs), and political party committees to disclose contributions bundled by lobbyists and lobbyists’ PACs.

Additionally, the FEC published its adjusted Coordinated Party Expenditure Limits for political parties for 2025.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) published the 2025-2026 election cycle contribution limits, which have been indexed for inflation. As required by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, the FEC must adjust certain contribution limits every two years.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) published the 2025-2026 election cycle contribution limits, which have been indexed for inflation. As required by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, the FEC must adjust certain contribution limits every two years.

The individual and nonmulticandidate PAC contribution limit to federal candidates has increased from $3,300 to $3,500 for both primary and general elections, allowing for a total of $7,000 for a federal candidate.

The limits on contributions by individuals to national party committees have increased from $41,300 to $44,300 per calendar year.

Individuals may now contribute $132,900 per calendar year to committees of a national political party for presidential nominating conventions, to committees of a national political party for preparation for and the conduct of election recounts and contests and other legal proceedings, and to committees of a national political party for the construction, purchase, renovation, operation, and furnishing of one or more buildings for party headquarters.

Individuals may now contribute $132,900 per calendar year to committees of a national political party for presidential nominating conventions, to committees of a national political party for preparation for and the conduct of election recounts and contests and other legal proceedings, and to committees of a national political party for the construction, purchase, renovation, operation, and furnishing of one or more buildings for party headquarters.

On January 20, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order revoking mandated enhanced ethics rules for executive branch appointees implemented on January 20, 2021, by former President Joseph R. Biden. President Trump’s Executive Order, entitled “Executive Order—Initial Rescissions Of Harmful Executive Orders And Actions,” revoked over 60 prior presidential Executive orders issued in the last four years.

The rescinded order, Executive Order 13989 entitled “Executive Order on Ethic Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel,” required new appointees to sign and be contractually committed to the ethics pledge outlined in the order. Appointees were prohibited from accepting gifts, with limited exceptions, from registered lobbyists and lobbying organizations for the duration of their service as appointees. Appointees were also prohibited from participating in matters involving specific parties directly and substantially related to a former employer for two years after the date of appointment.

Federal lobbyists and individuals registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act could not seek or accept employment with any executive agency with respect to which he or she lobbied within the two years before the date of the appointment. The order also prohibited certain golden parachutes from former employers and includes a general two-year prohibition on lobbying after leaving a position. Covered appointees included every full-time, non-career Presidential or Vice-Presidential appointee, non-career appointees in the Senior Executive Service, and appointees to certain positions excepted from the competitive service. It did not include any person appointed as a member of the Senior Foreign Service or solely as a uniformed service commissioned officer.

President Trump, who issued an Executive Order concerning the ethics of appointed officials in 2017, and rescinded it on January 19, 2021, could still issue another related Executive Order.