IntegrityBC launches “Take back BC” campaign
By IntegrityBC
IntegrityBC today launched “Take back BC,” a campaign focused on ensuring that the 2013 provincial election is the last election in B.C. bought and paid for by special interest money.
The organization is calling on every political party to put electoral finance reform into their 2013 election platform and to make it one of the signature pieces of legislation passed if they’re elected to government.
“British Columbians know this is an issue whose time has come,” said IntegrityBC executive director Dermod Travis. “And four major parties already agree with them. Only one – the B.C. Liberal party – is still balking at reforming B.C.’s antiquated laws on election financing.”
IntegrityBC’s campaign goals include a ban on corporate, union and out-of-province donations, a cap on individual donations and a Citizens’ Assembly to make binding recommendations on additional reforms.
Parties that now support many of these goals, include the B.C. NDP, the B.C. Conservatives, B.C. Green party and B.C. First. Independent MLA Bob Simpson has tabled a private member’s bill on the issue in the legislature.
Vancouver municipal parties that support electoral finance reform, include COPE, the Green party, the NPA and Vision Vancouver.
“Ironically, some B.C. Liberals try to cast these reforms as a partisan ploy, but they more than any other party should know that’s simply not the case,” said Travis, who noted that it was the federal Liberal party in 2003 that passed comparable reforms to those being proposed by IntegrityBC today and it was Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper who further strengthened those laws in 2006.
“One hopes that the B.C. Liberals aren’t putting their partisan interests ahead of leadership on this issue, because both the NPA and Vision Vancouver are putting leadership ahead of partisanship.”
This article is a press release from IntegrityBC.
