Wednesday, August 11, 2010

End the Public Subsidy for Party Financing

I very rarely agree with Libluvin' Jeffery Simpson but this I agree on, to scrap the public funding of political parties. 

 It would  hurt the Liberals and the Bloc the most, because they are not very good at fundraising. They haven't really had to. The Liberals in the past has relied on large corporate donations and that is not allowed anymore under  the Accountability Act which was implemented after the Conservatives took office in 2006.  The Bloc are just lazy, it's just more money they suck out of ROC.  The Conservatives and NDP have better fundraising skills so it wouldn't them as badly.

The Conservative government tried to put an end of that public funding in 2008 when the opposition got into a hissy fit. Then you had the attempt of the coalition of losers  trying to overthrow a duly elected government that was just weeks old.  I believe the Conservatives used the proposal  to smoke the losers out.

Why should you or I be forced give money to parties whose ideologies and policies I don't agree with?  Because that's what it is, it's forced donations. It's nothing but distribution of wealth. It doesn't make sense.
End the thing, increase the personal limit from $1100 to I would say maybe $3500 a year.  Then if you like a particular party then support it with your wallet not mine.

I say to PM Harper and Minister Jim Flaherty, bring it back.  Include it in the next budget and let the chips fall where they may. If the opposition vote the government down on that, so be it.   I'm sure the Conservatives would love to campaign on that issue.  The opposition I think would have trouble knocking on doors explaining away why the taxpayer should be forced to fund parties they don't agree with.