Municipalities vote to ban election donations from corporations and unions
Almost two weeks after the B.C. NDP government introduced a bill to ban big money from provincial elections, municipal politicians from across B.C. voted to do the same for local government election campaigns.
Delegates at the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference on Thursday passed a resolution calling on the province to implement reforms to campaign finance regulations, in consultation with the UBCM.
“The thrust of it is banning union and corporate donations in municipal elections, period,” said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, an ardent supporter of the motion, which was drafted by a councillor from the District of Oak Bay.
The resolution came before delegates on Wednesday, but after much debate and an amendment it was referred back to the UBCM executive, which Helps said was a surprise and disappointment.
Helps said she and others feared if a resolution was not passed during this conference, changes would not be made in time for the 2018 municipal election.
So, before Thursday’s policy session she and some other municipal politicians worked on an amendment and decided to ask their fellow elected officials to reconsider.
Helps said the amended motion was essentially the same, but worded in a way that was easier to understand.
Helps presented the motion to reconsider, which narrowly passed. Then the referral was rescinded and the motion was back on the table. An amendment was proposed and adopted, and the new resolution passed with support from most delegates.
Helps was pleased with the change of heart.
“Hopefully, with this push from UBCM, the province can bring that in by next September,” she said.
Some other resolutions of note that were considered on Thursday:
The Municipality of Vanderhoof ■ resolution to stop trains from sounding whistles because they “severely infringe upon citizens’ quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort and convenience” did not pass.
West Kelowna asked the UBCM ■ to call on the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to develop and fund a strategy to deal with the rat population in B.C. The resolution passed.
A second resolution put forth ■ by West Kelowna also passed. It wants the provincial government to amend legislation to allow local governments to pay for and implement photo radar on local roads.
A resolution aimed at changing ■ legislation so minor collisions could be cleared from provincial roads, bridges and tunnels faster was debated at length, then referred to the UBCM executive for consultation with health and safety professionals.
The Sunshine Coast Regional ■
District appealed for the Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Land Commission to revise a regulation to allow breweries, meaderies and distilleries to contract with another B.C. grower to meet a requirement that they grow at least 50 per cent of the ingredients for their product on site. Persephone Brewing Company, a farm-based brewery in Gibsons, would be helped by such a change. The resolution was passed.