OTTAWA: Former Alberta deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk has defended the fundraising practices of the political organization Forever Canadian, saying it is not legally required to submit weekly fundraising reports under current Canadian election finance laws.

Lukaszuk's comments come as questions continue to be raised about the group's fundraising activities and whether more frequent public disclosure is necessary to improve transparency.

According to Lukaszuk, the organization is complying with existing legal requirements and is not obligated to provide weekly updates on donations or fundraising totals unless required by Canada's election finance regulations.

The issue has drawn attention from political observers and opposition figures, who argue that more frequent reporting would give voters greater insight into political fundraising during periods of heightened political activity.

Supporters of the current rules, however, maintain that organizations should only be required to follow the reporting schedules established under federal election laws and that imposing additional disclosure requirements without legislative changes would be inappropriate.

The debate highlights broader questions about transparency in political financing and whether Canada's disclosure rules should be modernized to reflect the increasing pace of political fundraising and digital campaigns.

Election finance experts note that reporting requirements vary depending on whether an organization is registered as a political party, a third-party advertiser or another regulated entity. Each category is subject to different disclosure obligations under Canadian law.

As scrutiny of political fundraising continues, the discussion is expected to fuel calls for potential reforms aimed at strengthening public confidence in Canada's electoral finance system while balancing administrative requirements for political organizations.

No changes to the current reporting framework have been announced, and Forever Canadian has maintained that it is operating within the existing legal requirements.