Watch video of the introduction of this Bill here
Today in the Legislature, Bob Simpson, the Independent MLA for Cariboo North, tabled the Election Finance Amendment Act. The Bill restricts donations to candidates and political parties to registered British Columbia voters only, and caps those individual donations at $1000 per year.
“We are repeatedly confronted with examples of how money influences politics and we need to take steps to end that distortion of our governance system,” said Simpson. “Ultimately we need our election financing system to reflect the fundamental principle of democracy – that of one person, one vote. This is a simple solution to eliminate the possibility that political favours can be bought with big money in B.C.,” said Simpson
“Corporations and unions do not serve the interests of all British Columbians – but every politician must have the interest of all British Columbians as their primary focus for our democracy to work as it should. In order to protect the public interest, money should not be allowed to influence policy, nor should we permit even the perception that it does.”
Simpson says the Bill will force political candidates and parties to more directly connect with individual voters in British Columbia and ensure their platforms and their policy initiatives will reflect the issues and concerns of those voters in order to obtain their financial support and their vote.
Corporate and union donations have been banned at the federal level since 2003 and this fall the federal government brought in legislation that will phase out public subsidies for political parties. Simpson’s Private Member’s Bill would bring BC in line with these changes, and usher in a fundamental shift in the funding of political parties and candidates in B.C.