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OTTAWA — Canada’s federal Liberals and Conservatives are returning donations from former media baron Conrad Black that violated rules against foreign contributions to political parties.

The parties confirmed Friday they would return the money even as the New Democratic Party filed an official complaint with the elections commissioner over the donations. Meanwhile, the fact that the parties did not return the donations to Black until attention was called to them is raising questions about how effectively Canada’s electoral system can prevent foreign money from influencing its politics.

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Under Canadian law, only citizens and permanent residents can make political donations. Black — a Montreal native, the founder of the National Post and still a contributor to its Comment section — renounced his Canadian citizenship in 2001 after then-prime minister Jean Chrétien prevented him from accepting a peerage appointment from the United Kingdom. While he currently lives in Toronto, his citizenship status is that of a temporary resident.