Harper's plan to win the next election: Cheat

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Harper's plan to win the next election: Cheat

[ http://rabble.ca/columnists/2014/02/har ... tion-cheat ]

By Duncan Cameron February 25, 2014

The Harper government has introduced a parliamentary bill to boost their chances of winning seats in the next general election. Laughingly entitled the Fair Elections Act, [ http://openparliament.ca/bills/41-2/C-23/ ] Bill C-23 would legislate advantages for the Conservatives through voter suppression, and curtail the role of Elections Canada in promoting voting -- the exercise of the democratic franchise -- guaranteed under Section 3 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. [ http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-15.html ]

The Act has numerous features buried in nearly 250 pages of text designed to favour the ruling party. Notably, the Conservatives want to fix into law current advantages they have gained over the NDP and the Liberals in raising money from individual donors.

Incredibly, Bill C-23 would remove entirely from election spending limits, party spending for soliciting contributions from any donor who has contributed $20 in the past five years.

If adopted, this measure would allow the Conservatives to spend without limit to recruit funds from past donors, entrenching "first mover advantage" in a domain where in a previous guise (as the Reform Party) they excelled, while the other parties have been slow to catch up.

As well, Bill C-23 would enhance the ability of moneyed donors to contribute to parties by raising the upper limit by $300 (or 25 per cent) to $1,500, and then by $25 a year thereafter.

The Conservatives favour tax deductible contributions because it enables them to act like a political business, seeking funds in the following way: In return for your contribution we will provide you with small government, low taxes and your favourite social conservative policies: gun control, climate change or (fill in the blank according to party donor intelligence).

When the NDP ask for money to promote, say child care, its supporters want to debate the form it would take, not just "buy" support for it.

While the Conservatives flourish recruiting buyers as clients, the NDP has members who resist being treated as donors.

Historic practices in party funding entrenched the role of corporations in sustaining both the Liberal and Conservative parties. Without corporate money, the NDP despite its partnership with the Canadian Labour Congress, lacked spending capacity at general election time.

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