BRAMHAM ON LIBERAL RICHES
Nearly $1 million in corporate donations have poured into party coffers since vote
Nearly $1 million in contributions were deposited into the B.C. Liberal party’s bank account just three days after the May 9 election, reinforcing the perception that this province is the Wild West when it comes to its unfettered political donations.
The most recent donors are the who’s who of corporate B.C. with real-estate developers leading the way followed by construction and forestry companies, big oil, big banks and big law firms.
And, amid a slew of $25,000 donations, there’s one from an unnumbered company. A corporate search turned up no information on the B.C.-registered company, not even a mailing address.
No doubt, Liberals are anxious to restock their campaign war chest before the new government rewrites legislation governing both contributions and campaign spending.
Campaign financing reform was one of the non-negotiable
demands of the B.C. Green party, which holds the balance of power and has agreed to support a minority New Democratic Party government.
The other reason is that a government with a one-seat majority is at daily risk of toppling, despite the brave words from John Horgan and Andrew Weaver that their alliance is intended to last 4½ years.
It’s unlikely that the Liberals’ bank account was empty post election. By the end of 2016, it had already raised $7.6 million — more than enough even with B.C’s unusually high spending limit of $4.9 million. Of course, individual candidates are also allowed to spend up to $77,675.
Still, it’s clear from the Liberals’ online donor disclosures that in the past month Christy Clark’s party has been doing what it does best — raising money.
May 12 was a bountiful day for the bank account, according to the Liberals’ disclosure for the week ending May 19. Just over $900,000 from 437 donors was deposited. Of those, 84 donors gave more than $1,000.
Seven of the 10 largest donations came from developers, led by Richmond’s Rick Ilich at $100,000. Norman Cressey gave $75,000 in $25,000 increments through three numbered companies, while Wesgroup Properties (owned by the Weesik family) also donated $75,000.
Maple Ridge Plaza Properties gave $50,000 and three other developers donated $25,000 each — BlueSky Properties, Bosa Properties and Reliance Properties. Shato Holdings gave $20,000.
Other notable donors are: law firms Fasken, Martineau, DuMoulin LLP and Farris, Vaughn, Wills and Murphy LLP, Seaspan, Neptune Terminals, Toronto-Dominion Bank, CIBC Head Office, Chevron Canada, Encana, Enbridge, Canadian Pacific Railways, Buron Healthcare (which runs care homes in partnership with Interior Health) and the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters Association.
The following week, there were more deposits — 856 in all. Most were under $100, which added up to roughly $60,000. The exception was a $5,000 donation from A&W Canada CEO Paul F.B. Hollands.
It’s not clear whether these reported donations were made before or after the election. Party spokesman Emile Scheffel said contributions are only recorded by deposit date.
He noted in an email, “All contributions we receive of more than $250 are reported to Elections B.C. as part of our Annual Financial Report and, if applicable, our Election Financing Report, which covers contributions deposited during the writ period up to and including May 9.”
Aside from that reporting requirement, there is no rule about how much can be raised either during a campaign or between campaigns. While the Liberals voluntarily disclose their donations online, the other parties don’t. So, we’ll have to wait to see how they fared in the money sweepstakes.
Still, what we do know is that as soon as the NDP forms government, it will likely put at least as much energy into ending 16 years of the Liberals’ pay-for-play system and reforming the election spending laws as it does raising money.
Exactly how they’ll do that hasn’t been determined. But it will be one of the first issues that the Green-backed New Democrats will tackle.
Meantime, it bears pointing out that for a political party to deposit a million bucks a few days after an election is impressive at any time and especially following a defeat. But in the coming weeks, there may be fertile ground for the Liberals to raise even more among the “free-enterprisers” who are deeply suspicious of “socialist” New Democrats, let alone tree-hugging Greens. Those fears were likely stoked with the release of the NDP and Greens’ ambitious and sweeping alliance agreement that includes: doing everything possible to stop construction of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion; a review of both the Site C dam and a Massey tunnel replacement; increasing the carbon tax; potentially raising the minimum wage; and adding new social programs including $10-a-day child care.
That potential for raising even more money may help explain why Christy Clark is in no hurry to hand over government. Her decision to recall the legislature and force the alliance to defeat the Liberals in the legislature buys the party more time for fundraising.
It may also buy Clark time. She’s a superb fundraiser, a skill that may keep the knives of disaffected Liberals sheathed at least for the short term.