Corporate money fills PC war chest
Many contributing businesses claim no particular allegiance
Scan the annual reports of political donors in Newfoundland and Labrador and oddities pop up — for example, in 2011, when six companies and associations from the pharmaceutical industry suddenly gave money to the province’s Progressive Conservative (PC) party.
The six do not show up in the same records for any other year, at least as far back as 2006. A seventh, Shoppers Drug Mart, adds a large amount on top of their contributions, at $10,500.
Shoppers also donated to the PCs the following year, being regular donors, landing on the same list as another three pharmaceutical companies.
In total, on a scan of the records, 10 contributors from the sector provided $15,550 to the Tories over two years.
“Different companies and different areas, they want to attend (events) and support the cause for different reasons, but I think they’ll give when they feel that the party has policies that are consistent with their beliefs and they want to support those policies,” said PC Premier Paul Davis, speaking generally about corporate contributions.
The individual contributions in this case were all within the rules as set out in the province’s Elections Act. And as The Telegram contacted donors, the common response as to why they contributed is straightforward — they were invited to.
“I believe (Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association — CGPA) was asked if we would like to purchase a ticket and attend an event hosted by the NL Progressive Conservative Party and we agreed to do so. CGPA attends events held by political parties in jurisdictions in Canada that are in compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, policies and rules,” said Jeff Connell, the association’s vicepresident of corporate affairs.
“It is not our policy to give direct political donations, but we do purchase tickets to events that we can attend.”
Natasha Bond at Global Corporate Affairs said Amgen Canada similarly contributed through event tickets.
“The amount you refer to relates to two tickets to the premier’s dinner held in the fall of 2010,” she said.
The Canadian Association of Chain Drug Stores confirmed it paid for a pair of tickets, spending $600.
“As a national organization representing members with business interests across the country, we often attend dinners, think tanks, receptions and presentations to enhance our understanding of the issues fac- ing our members,” said Allan Austin, a spokesman for the association.
“We also purchased tickets to approximately seven comparable events across the country that year, hosted by all the major political parties.”
As information on political donors is released each year, there is a standard story carried by news outlets on corporate contributors and who gave the most.
The common reasoning for contributions is support for the political process, as a Shoppers Drug Mart spokeswoman told The Telegram in 2011.
The refrain remains for professional partnerships, who can decide upon contributions in the same way as corporations — with lead hands approving purchase of a group of event tickets — although the partnership donations do not show up in the public records in the same way.
Existing law says their contributions, with amounts divided up among partners and staff, are entered as individual donations.
Grant Thornton LLP does not show up as a donor to the PCs in 2011, for example, but employees do — at exactly $1,400 each.
Try another year and another team. In 2010, Stewart McKelvey did not donate to the PCs, but an estimated 16 employees did, at $223 and change each.
The PCs have been, by far in recent years, the most successful at garnering corporate and partnership donations.
The party’s regular, top event is an annual dinner in St. John’s. It can bring in over $300,000 in contributions from admission.
Not all of the donations through events are passive, and the PCs organize far more events than other parties. Plus, there are direct donations.
“We have a strong fundraising group … and when election time comes, it’s important we have sufficient ability to conduct a campaign that suits the needs that we do (have) in getting the message out and being able to meet with and reach out to people and connect with the people of the province,” Davis said.
In 2012, the last year of available records, the Top 10 party donors were corporations and political partnerships. It would have taken $10,000 for an individual to break into the ranks.