If only the money spent during elections was donated to a worthwhile charity to help those in need, so many Canadians would be far better off.
Snap…back to reality.
We’ve talked and reported on municipal campaign contributions extensively – we even had an online poll this past week that suggests 59 per cent of voters feel local candidates should be permitted to accept donations in one form or another – but when it comes to the federal level, it’s a whole new ballgame.
There was $66.64 million spent during the 2011 federal election, and a substantial sum of that was garnered through individual donations from you, the Canadian people.
The NDP party spent the most, tallying $20.32 million; the Liberal Party was next at $19.48 million; and the Conservatives a close third at $19.46 million.
During the 2011 election, campaign contributions were capped at $1,200 for each individual, for each party. So people could donate that amount to each candidate if they chose. Starting Jan. 1, 2015, that amount increased to $1,500, which can be donated to each party, party candidate, party leadership contestant or independent candidate.
Our local Wild Rose MP, Blake Richards, received $26,563 in contributions in 2011, while the Liberal Party candidate garnered $37,729.
It’s all about advertising…getting into the minds of Canadians and essentially filling them with nonsense.
Every party does it – use a small morsel of truth and turn it into something unrecognizable.
The Conservative party did this by plastering Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s image next to terrorist propaganda to evoke fear in voters; a move that may have broken the government’s own anti-terror law.
The Liberal Party recently tweeted an attack ad with the face of Stephen Harper with the question, “How much of your money has he spent on ads? $750 million.”
Misleading and hypocritical in so many ways – like the Conservative party is the first Canadian government to spend money on advertising – the amount quoted includes all government advertising, not just ‘partisan ads’ like the Liberal Party would have you believe.
If you look at the Liberal website, there is a post from this past December that urges their supporters to donate to the party’s campaign and shows that the Conservatives are outdoing them in this regard. At the time, the Liberals had raised $9.9 million in the first three quarters of 2014, while the Conservatives had collected $13.5 million.
They continue to implore people to donate, saying that if they bestow$3 they will be entered into a prize draw and that the contribution is ‘just 75 cents after your tax credit!’
Wait a second…tax credit?
Donating to a political campaign is a tax writeoff. Giving up to $400 nets you a 75 per cent return; from $400.01 to $750 gets you $300 plus 50 per cent of the amount over $400; and $750.01 to $1,500 is a maximum return of $650.
Where do you think this ‘tax credit’ comes from? Taxpayers, of course.
So to say that one party is spending taxpayer money on ads is slightly disingenuous considering they all do in a roundabout way.
Corporations have not been permitted to make campaign donations since 2004, but they still find tricky ways to contribute.
Tax preparation company Ernst and Young is one example of this: its staff has donated $76,000 to the Liberal Party, mostly during the 2008 campaign. Not to say that Ernst and Young is guilty of this, but is it not dangerous ground to allow companies to collect campaign donations on the company’s behalf? Does it not open the door to a non-like-minded employee feeling pressured to donate to a party they do not support?
Every party twists the narrative to portray their opponent as the devil and them as the squeaky clean alternative.
Because the writ has not yet been dropped, officially calling the election, there is no limit on what federal parties can spend on these attack ads.
Once it does drop, there is a maximum amount each party can spend during the official campaign run; an amount that is determined by several factors, so the current spending spree is not only expected but also out of control.
The NDP has been sitting back enjoying the battle between the Conservatives and Liberals, but they will assuredly get into the ring soon enough.
For now, however, they must be enjoying the carnage.
The latest (July 6) threehundredeight.com poll numbers prove that:
NDP – 32.1 per cent
Conservatives – 28.4 per cent
Liberal: 27.3 per cent
If these numbers hold, get ready for the NDP to be attacked from both sides.
