A number of groups and political parties are taking aim at the financing of political parties.
The Liberals raised about $10 million in 2012, with about half of that coming from businesses. The NDP raised about $7 million, with $1 million coming from businesses and another $1.6 million from unions.
NDP leader Adrian Dix has agreed with Integrity B.C., an election watchdog group, the B.C. Conservatives, the Green Party and independent MLAs that there should be a ban on donations from businesses and unions to political campaigns.
Is this best for democracy?
Independent MLA Bob Simpson says groups giving donations to parties “buys access” and is at odds with one person, one vote.
Simpson says Dix may waffle on his pledge to end corporate and union donations, because his party has done well from both in the past year.
If there were no donations to parties from businesses and unions, would that restrict political advertising? Not likely. It is doubtful that any ban on donations would extend to advocacy ads, given it would unlikely survive a court challenge.
B.C. has had, in the past, a robust political tradition. Many elections have been fought like class warfare.
The Liberals, the latest version of the free-enterprise coalition, get funds from many businesses, and the NDP get funds from labour. What’s wrong with that?
A limit on donations from an individual business or union to a party, and a law that would prevent that organization from making simultaneous donations to individual candidates to try to get around the limit, would be sufficient in limiting the influence of any one donor.
— Langley Times
