CLARK RAISES MUCH, DONATES LITTLE IN B.C.’S TITHING GAME
There’s a glaring irony in the phrase “pay-to-play” when it comes to B.C. politics. While developers, oil companies, banks, unions and lobbyists clearly got the memo, B.C.’s fundraiser-inchief apparently didn’t.
Christy Clark helped raise $7.6 million for the B.C. Liberals in 2016. But the premier and party leader didn’t contribute a dollar of that nor has she made any donations this year, according to her party’s weekly online disclosures.
In fact, Clark’s only political donations were in 2012, according to Elections B.C. In her first full year as premier and leader, Clark donated $1,453. Her name also doesn’t appear on the Liberals’ online disclosures for 2017.
It’s not that Clark can’t afford it. Last year, her take-home pay included her premier’s salary of $195,468 and a $50,000 top-up from the party.
Now, maybe it would be foolish to take money from the party only to turn around and donate some (and get a tax receipt). Still, you have to wonder why politicians like her don’t throw a few bucks in the pot when they spend so much time asking others to give generously of time, money and votes to further a specific ideological philosophy. Certainly, most nonprofit organizations expect their directors and even staff to help out with some money.
But if history is any guide, Clark feels no such compulsion and she’s not the only highprofile Liberal absent when the hat gets passed at the office. Last year Amrik Virk apparently wasn’t there either. He gave $300 in 2014. Virk lost his seat in the May election.
But in 2016, the Liberals’ online disclosures do indicate that those three were the rare exceptions.
All of the other ministers and almost every candidate made donations ranging from $168 to $2,400. So did many former cabinet ministers and MLAs — among them Kevin Falcon, Moira Stilwell, Ida Chong, Kevin Krueger and Ben Stewart.
In contrast, both NDP Leader John Horgan and the Greens’ Andrew Weaver made substantial donations last year and in other years as well.
Mostly, their donations might best be described as tithes — monthly contributions of a set amount — in the old religious tradition when the faithful were asked/required to contribute often as much as one-tenth of their income to support their beliefs.
In 2016, Horgan made monthly donations of $200 in addition to several other donations for a total of $4,645. Since 2012, he has contributed $7,940, according to Elections B.C., mostly via monthly donations of $100 throughout 2007 and 2008.
In the past, political parties in both Britain and Australia have enforced tithes on their cabinet ministers and elected members. To pay off their massive debt in 2011, Britain’s Liberal Democrats asked ministers to hand over 10 per cent of their salaries.
Here, some former NDP MLAs have said that tithing was expected either through monthly donations or a once-a-year payment. While Horgan’s donations dropped off for a number of years, a quick scan indicates that some NDP MLAs have followed the practice for at least as long as Elections B.C. has kept records.
And, of course, there were those who apparently only believed minimal donations were required. A couple of former leaders gave as little as $5 and $10 a month.
Meantime, Weaver has also been tithing, donating $2,687 last year and $6,137 mostly through monthly donations.
To her peril, Clark defended the old fundraising system until a few weeks after the RCMP began investigating possible contraventions of the Elections Act by lobbyists who donated under their own names and were later reimbursed by clients and companies.
Then, she admitted that perhaps it was time for some reform and asked the (since defeated) Attorney General Suzanne Anton to form an independent panel to study it after May 9.
Yet even after announcing the panel, Clark continued to resist the idea of campaigns being at least partly funded through taxes as they are in some other jurisdictions.
Now, in the midst of all of British Columbia’s postelection uncertainty, the only apparent certainty is that the unfettered fundraising will finally be reined in.
As part of their alliance agreement, the NDP backed by the Greens would reform campaign financing. They’ve agreed to ban union and corporate donations. One hopes they’ll also end the practice of accepting foreign donations.
They’re also expected to limit spending between elections and reduce campaign spending limits from this year’s maximum of $4.9 million for each party and nearly $78,000 for individual candidates.
Of course, even with spending limits, paying for campaigns will likely require many more individuals to step up to help fund democracy — including premiers and former premiers.