B.C. Liberals get federal aid
Party confirms it received emergency wage subsidy
VICTORIA — B.C.’s Opposition Liberals are receiving federal aid to pay its party staff during the COVID19 pandemic, on top of funding already provided by provincial taxpayers.
The party confirmed it has applied for and received the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, which covers 75 per cent of the pre-pandemic wage for employees for up to 24 weeks.
The party would not provide the exact amount. It has almost a dozen full and part-time staff and, in 2019, spent almost $1.4 million on salaries and benefits.
“Like the Liberal Party of Canada, Conservative Party of Canada, Green Party of Canada, NDP, United Conservative Party of Alberta, and others, we have applied for and received the federal emergency wage subsidy,” said Emile Scheffel, B.C. Liberal Party executive director.
“We are using it for its intended purpose — keeping employees on the job during this unprecedented crisis. The alternative would be laying off staff, forcing them to access EI (employment insurance) and other relief programs that are also funded by taxpayers.”
Political parties are eligible under the rules set by the federal government. They’ve argued their primary source of revenue — fundraising — has dried up due to the business closures and mass unemployment caused by the pandemic.
The B.C. NDP and B.C. Green party both said they are not receiving federal wage subsidies. However, Green spokesperson Madeline Gareau said the party is considering it as one of the “possible options to keep our operations running as smoothly as possible.”
The NDP did not criticize the Liberals for taking the federal aid.
“If other political parties choose to apply, that is their choice,” said party provincial director Raj Sihota.
Any federal aid to
B.C. political parties comes on top of provincial funding the NDP government put in place in 2017 — meaning the B.C. Liberals are receiving cash from both provincial and federal taxpayers. The Liberals
opposed the provincial subsidy, but nonetheless have continued to take it.
The government created a provincial per-vote subsidy to help parties wean themselves off corporate and union donations, which the NDP banned in 2017. The subsidy is set to expire in 2021 unless politicians agree to renew it.
Scheffel said the Liberals need to maintain a constant state of election readiness due to the minority government. While the next provincial election is scheduled for Oct. 16, 2021, there’s a chance the NDP government could call it earlier, he said.
We are using it for its intended purpose — keeping employees on the job during this unprecedented crisis.