Campaign finance regulation is usually seen as a way of promoting democracy -- but the Conservative proposal to limit candidates to lending $1,100 to their own campaigns will not promote democracy. The proposal will do quite the reverse.
Every campaign I have been involved with (or even heard directly about, and that includes NDP, Conservative and Bloc campaigns) has had the candidate front some money on an interim basis.
Consider this -- $1,500 in signs are produced. Under the new proposals the campaign cannot take them and pay later as that is a loan from a business (the printer) to the campaign. The candidate cannot pay using a credit card as that is a loan from the candidate. In fact, unless the campaign has the money already in the bank and pays directly there is no way to pick up the signs.
Now I am sure somewhere some campaigns are fully funded before the writ drops (let's see, maybe Alberta CPC?) but most campaigns raise their money during the writ period so there needs to be bridging from somewhere (and that's generally the candidate or maybe the Riding President).
The proposal to limit lending will give a huge advantage to incumbents and an advantage to Parties with existing cash cushions (the Conservatives). Far from promoting democracy it will do the reverse.
1 comment:
The only way to beat Harper's mean spirited schemes is to analyze them, understand how they impact us, and then take steps to overcome the negative impacts.
The Tory changes to party fund raising can be beaten, and soundly beaten, by the opposition parties getting onto a permament campaigning mode as the Tories are.
An a vital part of such permanent campaign mode is to raise money in advance for elections - so that the situation you spell out does not happen.
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