Horgan defends funding flip-flop
‘Unapologetic’ about solution to donation issue
Premier John Horgan is unrepentant over his plan to provide public subsidies to political parties, saying it’s an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars and is only temporary support.
“I’m unapologetic about wanting to get big money out of politics,” he told reporters at the legislature. “I’m unapologetic about having a transition fund that will be gone by the next election.”
Horgan faced questions Tuesday from Opposition Liberal MLAs and the media about why he ruled out a per-vote subsidy for political parties before the May 9 election, and then proposed one in a bill on Monday. Taxpayers will be on the hook for $27.5 million over the next four to five years in subsidies and the new 50 per cent reimbursement program for parties’ expenses.
The bill would also ban corporate and union donations, set a $1,200 annual individual donation cap and overhaul rules on loans, fundraising and other elements of campaign finance.
But giving taxpayer money to political parties remained the proposed legislation’s most contentious feature, and the issue was amplified by Horgan’s contradictory pre-election comments.
Before the election, then-premier Christy Clark accused Horgan of proposing political finance reforms that would leave taxpayers footing the bill. Horgan repeatedly denied that was the plan.
“The premier, in all of her distortions last week, one of them was she said my preference was taxpayers pay for political parties. That’s just not the case,” Horgan told reporters on Feb. 16 at the legislature.
“It’s up to the independent B.C. head of elections and the committee that will be struck to take a look at all options and bring forward the best one for B.C.”
That review, headed by Elections B.C., was also not contained in the NDP legislation Monday.
Horgan also denied public funding for parties would occur if he was elected during a Feb. 9 appearance on Victoria radio station CFAX.
“At no time have I said that I prefer to make public dollars responsible for political parties — at no time,” he told host Al Ferraby. “The premier (is) just making stuff up. I believe we need to get big money out of politics.”
Horgan said Tuesday those comments were made when he thought the NDP would win a majority government. Instead, the NDP signed a power-sharing deal with the B.C. Green party and formed a minority government.
“I’m owning up to what I said before the campaign. I don’t want you to think that I’m running away from this, because I’m not,” Horgan said.
“But it is not what you are making it out to be. This is a transition fund and will be gone at the end of this mandate.”
B.C.’s bill contains a clause to allow an all-party committee of MLAs to extend the subsidy with a decision in 2022, or eliminate it. Horgan said MLAs will have to be accountable for their choice.
The new rules are “a massive change” in campaign finance rules, Horgan said.
“We believe it’s good public policy to have a transition, which is a modest cost to taxpayers in the grand scheme of things and will be gone in four years,” he said.
Horgan pointed to Ottawa, which used subsidies from 2011 to 2015 during a change to campaign finance rules.
Green Leader Andrew Weaver denied his party pushed the NDP during negotiations to force the subsidy. The Greens have used consultation to force the NDP to change positions on numerous issues so far, and the Greens stand to at least double their annual funding under the new per-vote subsidy.
“We did not push for the subsidy, but we understand for bigger parties it is more of an issue,” Weaver said Tuesday. “For us, we’ve already banned big money. We don’t get hardly anything.”
Weaver also said he’d be open to considering amendments to remove per-vote subsidies. The Liberals said Tuesday they intend to amend the bill.
Opposition Liberal house leader Mike de Jong attacked Horgan’s position during question period on Tuesday.
“Why is he breaking his repeated promise and forcing British Columbians to fund, through their taxes, political parties they have no interest or desire to support?” de Jong asked in the legislature.
He scoffed at the notion the NDP would allow the subsidy to be phased out in Year 5.
“If anyone thinks after five years the NDP and Green party are going to turn off the tap on public funding on political parties, I’ve got a bridge in Richmond I’d like to sell them,” he said.
In response, Horgan called de Jong “the class clown.”
With the NDP legislation, there will be three streams of public subsidy on political financing — the per-vote subsidy, the 50 per cent reimbursement and the existing political contribution tax credit. The tax credits, which would continue under the new rules, cost $4 million a year in forgone revenue, though it could decline once corporate donations are banned.
I don’t want you to think that I’m running away from this, because I’m not … But it is not what you are making it out to be.