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Barrie could vote on corporate and union campaign donations ban

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In Barrie
Apr 7th, 2016
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Jeff Lehman

By Bob Bruton, Barrie Examiner

Barrie councillors could vote on banning corporate and union donations from local elections later this month.

Mayor Jeff Lehman says he’d like to see it on the April 18 agenda.

“I have always felt that campaign finance rules need to be tightened up, so I don’t need to study that issue,” he said. “It’s a basic issue of fairness, and levelling the playing field in politics.”

Earlier this week, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne promised legislation in the spring to outlaw corporate and union political donations.

Lehman said he hasn’t had a problem with donations from businesses, especially those in Barrie, but has tried to distinguish those companies or individuals which might ask city council for decisions that could affect them financially, such as developers, and those which would not.

“But the problem I encountered with that over the years is it’s a slippery slope – for example, which businesses might have a development application with Barrie in the future?” he said. “What about companies that could have a financial interest in other kinds of council decisions? Should I also not accept donations from individuals, just because they work for a development company?

“It became very difficult to decide where to draw the line on this issue, because I had to try and guess whether the company might have a planning application, or might be affected financially by those decisions because they own the land across the street for example – and so forth.”

The Examiner asked Barrie councillors where they stood on the ban.

Coun. Michael Prowse agrees with it and said it’s long overdue.

“In reality, everyone running for council should be on the same playing field and the last thing we want is anyone being beholden to any special interest groups – unions, developers or otherwise,” he said.

“Currently that type of fund-raising makes up the majority of the funds used in local campaigns and should it be eliminated.

“Although it will not eliminate all of the grey area associated with campaign finances it will certainly go a long way,” Prowse said.

Coun. Rose Romita said she agrees with a ban as well.

“It seems that the person with the most money to spend on their campaign is elected,” she said. “When I ran, I did not accept any donations of any kind. I don’t want to feel obligated to anyone should they present to council.

“This makes it fair to everyone and I don’t owe anyone any favours.”

“I think it’s a great idea. I think it’s something that’s long overdue,” said Coun. Doug Shipley, noting the federal Conservative government did it in 2007. “I think it will level the playing field a bit and keep corporations and unions out of municipal elections. So I’m all for it.

“I can live with it quite easily and it won’t affect me.”

Coun. Barry Ward said he would support such a ban, but believes it would be largely symbolic.

“In this case maybe that’s enough,” he said. “There seems to be an underlying assumption that such a ban is needed because the development industry is influencing municipal elections in Barrie and, by extension, council decisions.

“I don’t believe either is the reality. The biggest spenders don’t necessarily win the seats and I’ve seen no evidence subsequent council decisions are swayed by who donated to campaigns.”

Ward said he’s never understood why allowing donations from John Smith and his wife, children and employees, but not the ‘John Smith Development Corporation’, is an improvement.

“Symbolically it might be better, but the money is still coming from the same place,” he said. “Let’s not pretend otherwise.

“If there is a belief donations are influencing elections and councils, the answer would be to ban them altogether, or maybe limit them to $100 per person. Then, of course, the issue would be whether wealthy people, who could spend their own money, would have an advantage,” Ward said. “The answer to that would be to ban election spending entirely.

“But then, if campaign literature and signs were prohibited, how would candidates get their name out? Would incumbents have a huge advantage because of name recognition? There are no easy answers.”

Coun. Sergio Morales also said there’s no simple solution.

“Measures to get rid of potential special interests in politics is a step in the right direction, yet it’s a good idea to take a look at the finer details such a ban would actually have,” he said.

“It wouldn’t solve the problem of those same individuals donating through their corporation, just donating through themselves and family members, and we also don’t want to create a situation where we create a municipal political class where only individuals with rich friends can afford to run for council – especially for non-incumbent councillors running for the first time,” said Morales, a rookie councillor.

“I think it could be a prudent idea to see how it worked for the few municipalities that choose to rush implementation for 2018, and draft a proper policy that accounts for these potential side effects.”

The maximum contribution an individual or business can make to each municipal election candidate is $750.

Shipley said that number is significant.

“I don’t think anyone would sway a vote for $750. I don’t think that takes place, I would hope it wasn’t,” he said. “Even now this is going to clear that off of there and no one can even make those accusations anymore.”

Coun. Bonnie Ainsworth supports the ban even thought it doesn’t directly affect her.

“Just as a matter of principle and personal values, my campaigns have always been self-funded,” she said. “It is not surprising then that I will be totally supportive of a ban on corporate and union donations to candidates during the next municipal election.”

Coun. Andrew Prince also supports the ban and said the province should follow suit.

“This way we will have clean and transparent rules on all three levels (of government),” he said.

“Eliminating corporate and union donations is a more straightforward way to handle this issue,” Lehman said. “It’s how Toronto runs elections right now. I think it’s the right thing to do, and I’ve been waiting for the province to give municipalities this authority.

“I want Barrie to be one of the first cities to do this.”

The mayor said his motion will also ask city staff to study other changes that could be permitted, and give councillors a report back on which ones should be implemented and why.

These include shortening the election campaign by opening nominations for candidates on May 1 instead of January 1, a framework to regulate third-party advertising, including contribution and spending limits, making it easier to add or change information on the voters’ list and removing barriers that could affect voters and candidates with disabilities.

Financial statements of all candidates who ran in Barrie’s 2014 city election, and the 2016 Ward 7 byelection, are available on the city website, barrie.ca, by clicking on ‘City Hall’, then ‘Elections’.

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION RULES

There is a $750 limit that applies to each person, corporation and union who contributes to a campaign.
If a person, corporation or union makes more than one contribution (e.g. contributes money, contributes goods, and purchases a ticket to a fund-raising event), the total value of all the contributions cannot exceed $750.
If you accept contributions from corporations, you must determine whether the corporations are associated. Generally, corporations are associated if they are owned or controlled by the same person or persons.
The contribution limits apply to associated corporations as if they were all a single corporation.
The maximum total amount that a contributor can give to candidates in the same jurisdiction (i.e. running for the same council or the same school board) is $5,000.
Only a contribution that is $25 or less can be made in cash. All contributions above $25 must be made by cheque, money order, or by a method that clearly shows where the funds came from.
Source: City of Barrie

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