Opponents table reforms to B.C. political financing

VICTORIA — Opposition MLAs tabled a flurry of reforms to B.C.’s political fundraising rules, campaign spending limits and election dates on Thursday, in a largely symbolic gesture designed to highlight the B.C. Liberal government’s inaction on potential election issues.

The Opposition NDP, independent MLA Vicki Huntington and B.C. Green leader Andrew Weaver collectively tabled 19 private member’s bills in the legislature Thursday, on items that will undoubtedly form part of their re-election campaigns in May.

B.C. NDP Leader John Horgan proposed a ban on corporate and union donations to political parties, after public criticism that Premier Christy Clark has been selling access to top ministers to party donors and corporations at exclusive fundraisers.

His private member’s bill would restrict donations to B.C. residents, while also banning the premier or cabinet ministers from earning any second income while in office. Clark announced last month she’d no longer take a $50,000 leader’s stipend from the party, after criticism that it was inappropriate for her to profit on the party’s private fundraising.

“This is long overdue,” said Horgan. “As we get closer to the election I wanted to make sure the public knew I’m committed to making sure big money is no longer influencing our politics.”

It was the sixth time the NDP had proposed such a ban. Each time, the Opposition has failed to get support from the B.C. Liberal majority. That continued Thursday, as Finance Minister Mike de Jong signalled “there’s no intention” to vote for the bill.

Instead, de Jong repeated a Liberal plan for legislation to force political parties to make public their donor lists every two weeks.

Huntington, the independent MLA for Delta South, went further in her bill to ban corporate and union donations, proposing a donation cap of $1,500 on individual donors. She also proposed legislation to ban the premier, cabinet ministers and staff from attending political fundraisers.

Huntington said B.C.’s political process is “broken and in need of an overhaul.”

Other NDP bills tabled Thursday called for a ban on partisan government advertising, a limit on party spending 60 days before election campaigns begin, new conflict rules on political staff, mandatory fall sessions of the legislature, approval for electronic petitions, whistleblower protection, and changing the spring fixed election date to October.

Weaver tabled bills to change the Family Day holiday and prevent foreign companies from buying any land in B.C.’s Agricultural Land Reserve that is larger than five acres, to halt speculative price increases. He also tabled a bill to promote ride-hailing services like Uber.

“We’ve been doing the work and consulting and made it very clear we’re going to be showing our intentions before the election on exactly what we think,” said Community Minister Peter Fassbender, who is in charge of government response to Uber.

“It’s clear we need to modernize the taxi industry and deal with what technology impact is having.”