Wednesday, August 16, 2000

OTTAWA - Today, Democracy Watch made available its brief to the legislative committee examining the Manitoba government's Bill 4, which amends the Election Finances Act.

Democracy Watch's submission supports the government's provisions that place a ban on corporate and union contributions to political parties and candidates, limit individual contributions to $3,000, and limit the amount of partisan third-party spending during elections to $5,000. Democracy Watch also supports Bill 4's proposed disclosure requirement for all third-party spending above $500.

"In politics, he who pays the piper calls the tune," said Aaron Freeman, a founding board member of Democracy Watch and author of the forthcoming book Cashing In: Money and Influence in Canadian Politics. "This bill will help reduce the undue influence of money in politics."

Democracy Watch believes that corporations, unions and other entities that do not vote should not be allowed to try to use their wealth to influence the political process in other ways. Contribution limits ensure that no party or candidate becomes too dependent on a small number of high-end donors, especially those with a large stake in government decision making.

However, democratic measures that make electoral politics more accessible, such as contribution limits and candidate and party spending limits, can be rendered meaningless if so-called "third parties" are allowed to spend unlimited amounts to oppose or support a candidate or party. Democracy Watch therefore also supports the bill's provisions that limit third-party spending to a level that restricts the influence of wealthy special interests, while allowing for a reasonable amount of political expression.

Each of the provisions Democracy Watch supports has precedents in Canada. The contribution limits are very similar to provisions that have been in place in Quebec and Ontario for many years. The third-party spending limits are similar to those developed by the 1991 federal Royal Commission on Electoral Reform and Party Finance, and have been approved in principle in rulings by the Supreme Court of Canada. And the third-party spending disclosure provisions are identical to those recently passed by the federal government.

The Election Finances bill is currently being examined by a legislative committee, and is expected to be voted on in the Legislature in the coming weeks.