Municipal election finance reform shouldn't be a big deal.
B.C. has the most lax campaign finance rules for municipal elections in Canada. Basically, anything goes. There are no contribution limits, or spending limits. A developer or public sector union could effectively place its loyalists on council by spending enough money to them elected.
It's a system open to abuse. And it certainly undermines public confidence.
Premier Gordon Campbell promised reform, a joint task force of MLAs and UBCM reps to look at campaign financing and spending.
And Friday afternoon, a favoured time for such announcements, the government sent out a news release
.
The task force will have six members - three from the UBCM and three MLAs. The MLAs are all Liberals and one of the three UBCM reps ran unsuccessfully for the party.
No public interest representatives. No NDP MLAs, or independent Vicki Huntington.
The fix appears to be in. Campbell has rejected any limits on corporate and union donations to provincial parties.
Any recommendations on limits for municipal donations would be embarassing. Stacking the committee reduces the risk.
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On the same page it was announced that BC had won 4 awards for public/private partnerships. I clicked on the link to www.pppcouncil.ca and checked out who they were. Honourary chair? None other than Gordon Campbell. The Public/Non Profit Membership, even more interesting. It is a clear roadmap to what is up for privatisation here. Go check for yourself. Is that not a conflict of interest on GC's part?
Gordo really isn't afraid, he just likes to ensure that, as a control freak he stacks the deck as often as possible. When people start to understand that many of the things that directly affect them are controlled by government at the municipal level they too will catch on and show support for people they figure will work to improve conditions right around where they live. It's at that level where'The rubber hits the road"
The BC Liberals fear democracy
The Local Government Elections Task Force (LGETF) is a front for the BC Liberals to revamp the Provincial election rules without opposition input.
The NDP will whine, whinge and squawk - but ultimately they will do nothing to balance the LGETF membership or mandate.
The Campbell coterie will then conveniently contrive to make the new LGETF reform package do double duty at the local and provincial level... for 'consistencies' sake.
Her Majesty's democratically elected Loyal Opposition will be left on the side screaming into the wind and steamrolled under in a fait accompli.
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