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Campaign-finance resolution the buzz in halls of UBCM

September 30th, 2009 · 6 Comments

Here’s my Globe story on the efforts of Vancouver councillors and, I should say, SFU prof Kennedy Stewart, to get a motion passed at the Union of B.C. Municipalities supporting limits on campaign fundraising and spending.

That’s what Premier Gordon Campbell said is needed before his government will think about setting any new rules. The vote is Thursday or Friday, depending on how long it takes to get through other resolutions.

Another group that’s been pushing for this, btw, is Think City.

Categories: Uncategorized

  • A. G. Tsakumis

    Astounding that you would even quote Kennedy Stewart, Frances. This is a man who has made a career of punditry from getting it wrong.

    Certainly he and Ellen want to cap campaign finance, and not for all the right reasons, which exist in spades, but because Stewart and Woodsworth are hard left wingnuts who will NEVER get the kind of money sane people will give either the NPA or Vision. It’s quite absurd.

  • Edward

    Interesting that A.G. Tsakumis thinks that someone who has loads of cash and hopes to make loads more by influencing civic politicians into tailoring civic business to make that easier is sane. We mustn’t assume that entrepreneurial megalomania is a particularly special and entitled form of sanity just because it has the resources to promote itself as such.

  • Neil Monckton

    Making city councils free from the taint of big money influence can only be a good thing. Without it, local government actions on development, employee contracts or any other decision that creates the perception of a benefit for a civic election donor can be called into question. Just look at the Central Saanich case where 2008 election donations are being linked to city hall’s development decisions (see http://mondaymag.com/articles/entry/co-op-co-opted/).

    Moreover, almost every other major Canadian city outside BC has campaign finance regulations. Why would we not implement these laws to safeguard elections in our province?

    Join Think City, and ask the provincial party leaders to take action on civic campaign finance reform. Send a letter to Carole James and Gordon Campbell here:

    http://www.thinkcity.ca/emailleaders

  • Michael Geller

    I received a substantial amount of money from both sane and insane people….but strongly support the need for limits on campaign fundraising and spending.

    I would also like to see the city that aspires to be the greenest city in the world prohibit candidates from sticking metal stakes wrapped in plastic on front lawns. But it should continue to be OK for candidates to promote themselves by writing their name on leaves!

  • Otis Krayola

    @Michael Geller,

    “…promote themselves by writing their name on leaves”

    Water-soluble, vegetable-based ink, if you please!

  • spartikus

    A Corporatocracy, if you can keep it.

    Premier Gordon Campbell promised to reform B.C.’s Election Act — including possibly granting municipal voting rights to industrial and business property owners

    Presumably, if you own more than one business, you get more than one vote. All hail our new emperor, Tim Horton.