Charities have no place in politics

If we take free speech seriously — and we obviously do — then advocacy agencies must have a voice on public policy reform. But there must be rules. Strict rules. The Trudeau Liberals are considering a recommendation from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) that registered charities be unshackled from the tough restrictions placed on them by the government of Stephen Harper, after they went squirrelly in their denunciations of Conservative policies affecting their agendas.

The Harperites weren’t wrong in 2012, but they were perhaps somewhat harsh in their audits of some charities they considered to be guilty of pushing the envelope of nonpartisanship.

Still, seven out of the 54 charities audited under the Harper government’s direction had enough evidence against them to have their charitable status revoked.

What the CRA now is suggesting in the post-Harper era is allowing charities to engage in political activities as long as they agree to an “absolute prohibition” on political partisanship. This seems an impossible ask. If the Liberals want to enter these politically dangerous waters two years before they are tested in the next election, they have to think beyond their own tenure in office.

If charities are to be given an increased voice on policy, there must be a limit on the amount they can spend on political advocacy, and their voices must cease once the writ is dropped. Charitable tax exception must have a cost. There already is a $150,000 third-party limit on advertising during the writ period of a federal election — notably exploited by public-service unions — with a maximum of $3,000 allowed for the support or opposition to specific candidates.

Charities must not be allowed to go there.

When Canadians give to their favourite charities they primarily do so to help others, not to have their hard-earned money go to non-charitable endeavours that include trumpeting against a political party they might actually support.

What we do not need in Canada is a devolution to the American model, where the progressive rich and foreign entities pump their multi-millions into charities in return for using them as podiums to trumpet their left-wing political agendas and castigate conservatives.

A charity is either a charity or it isn’t.