It's legal to pay off opponents?!

Yes, according to some lawyers in this Ottawa Citizen article.

[Ottawa] Mayor Larry O'Brien is not facing a charge based on an allegation that he offered up to $30,000 to Terry Kilrea to withdraw from last year's mayoral race because it's apparently not against Canadian law to offer to pay off an opponent to drop out of an election campaign.

The legal team working on the O'Brien file, which includes Crown attorney Scott Hutchison, an expert who has literally written a book on search warrants, reviewed the Criminal Code of Canada and found no sections that fit the alleged cash offer that was detailed in an affidavit sworn by Mr. Kilrea last December.

Mr. O'Brien was instead charged Monday with two criminal offences -- attempting to bribe and purported influence peddling -- and will have his first scheduled court appearance on Jan. 9. The mayor says he'll stay in office and fight the criminal case against him.