Victoria – The Special Committee to Review Provisions of the Election Act has released its report on the annual allowance paid to political parties.
The annual allowance was established through legislative amendments to the Election Act. Annual allowance payments began in 2018 at $2.50 per vote received in the most recent provincial general election, with the rate decreasing in 2021 and 2022 to $1.75 per vote received.
The committee recommends the annual allowance be set at the reduced rate of $1.75 per vote in 2023 and be adjusted thereafter by the change in the Consumer Price Index for the previous year.
The report is available online: www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/rpea
The all-party committee was appointed by the legislative assembly in April 2021 to review the annual allowance paid to political parties, including whether it should continue after 2022 and, if so, the amount and the number of years it should be paid. The committee held a public consultation in the spring of 2021 and heard from academic experts, stakeholders and individual British Columbians.
“Since the elimination of corporate and union donations in 2017, the annual allowance has helped political parties engage with British Columbians,” said Jagrup Brar, committee chair. “The committee found that this allowance strengthens our democracy by levelling the playing field between political parties and keeping big money out of our politics.”
Peter Milobar, deputy chair, said: “Many presentations and submissions affirmed the view that well-functioning political parties play an important role within our democratic system. On behalf of all committee members, I would like to thank everyone who participated in the committee’s public consultation.”
It is anticipated that the committee’s report, including recommendations, will be considered for adoption by the legislative assembly in October 2021. Legislative amendments to the Election Act will be required to implement the committee’s recommendations.
The members of the committee are:
Jagrup Brar, MLA for Surrey-Fleetwood (chair); Peter Milobar, MLA for Kamloops-North Thompson (deputy chair); Brittny Anderson, MLA for Nelson-Creston; Andrew Mercier, MLA for Langley; Greg Kyllo, MLA for Shuswap; Ronna-Rae Leonard, MLA for Courtenay-Comox; and Adam Olsen, MLA for Saanich North and the Islands.
In reaction, The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is slamming B.C. politicians after they voted to keep using taxpayers’ money for partisan purposes on Monday.
“Politicians are taking about $30 million from taxpayers for lawn signs and attack ads and now they want to keep on doing it,” said Kris Sims, B.C. Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “It’s unacceptable that these politicians force us to foot the bills for their partisan claptrap.”
MLAs sitting on a special committee voted in favour of keeping the per-vote subsidy that takes $1.75 per vote from taxpayers. The committee votes were not recorded, and not one MLA voiced any opposition to continuing to take the money.
In 2017, Premier John Horgan said he had no intention of creating a per-vote subsidy. He told CFAX radio: “At no time have I said that I prefer to make public dollars responsible for political parties.”
After the election, Horgan’s government created the per-vote subsidy and additional taxpayer payments to political parties, insisting it would be temporary to wean the parties off of corporate and union money.
Political parties are now on track to take about $20 million from taxpayers through the per-vote subsidy by 2022, when the scheme was initially set to expire.
Taxpayers also pay for rebates to cover half of each parties’ expenses after each election campaign.
In total, the payments cost taxpayers about $30 million. That money could pay for:
- The salaries of 50 full time paramedics for 10 years.
- The salaries of 115 long-term care workers for five years.
- The provincial income tax bill for the population of Osoyoos.
“Politicians should get off of their backsides and get donations from their supporters instead of sneakily mooching it off of taxpayers through politician welfare,” said Sims. “It’s outrageous that not one MLA sitting on that committee voted against taking more taxpayers’ money. The only time politicians can agree is when they’re helping themselves to money from taxpayers.”
Audio of the voice vote by MLAs on the committee on continuing to take the money from taxpayers can be heard HERE.
The legislature is planning to vote on the issue in October.
