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Canada - Legislation: Party Politics Revamped	sand-@wwdb.org
	Jun 13, 2003 15:58 PDT

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One last tax grab - crime alert!!!!The only good news about
this is that it will allow individuals to contribute up to
$5000 annually instead of $750.

Let's see if your MP will listen to you now!

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Millar [mailto:mich-@BoldTrueFree.com]
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 3:35 PM
To: Sandra Gibbs; David Hawkins
Subject: One last tax grab - crime alert!!!!

June 12, 2003

One last tax grab

By GREG WESTON -- Sun Media

OTTAWA -- Two years ago this month, federal politicians
celebrated the end of the spring parliamentary session by
merrily ripping open the public purse, stuffing their
pockets with 20% pay raises, and skipping town for their
summer vacations with barely a middle-finger salute to
Canadian taxpayers.
Well, beware the ides of June.
As MPs prepare to shut down the Commons and flee the capital
for this summer's recess - as early as tomorrow - they are
again raiding the federal treasury, this time to fill the
coffers of their respective political parties.
Sweeping new political financing laws passed by the Commons
last night will siphon up to $26 million from taxpayers'
pockets every year - and up to $47 million in election
years - and pump it directly into the bank accounts of the
five political parties.
Like! so many Liberal initiatives, the overhaul of political
financing was a good idea turned sour by Grit machinations.
The new legislation all but bans political donations from
corporations and trade unions, limiting them to $1,000 a
year, while capping contributions from individuals at
$5,000.
So far, so good: nothing corrupts quicker than a truckload
of cash.
Even the perception that big money buys big influence in
government decision-making creates public cynicism and
undermines trust in our democratic institutions.
We need look no further than the U.S., where the political
system runs mainly on money.
For Prime Minister Jean Chretien, however, there was one
small hitch to simply canning corporate and union
donations - no party gets more dough from corporate
boardrooms than the Liberals.
Whereupon, the PM decreed that most corporate and trade
union money would simply be replaced with taxpayers' money.
The Liberal party will be ! laughing all the way to the next
election.
Here is what is about to happen to your hard-earned tax
dollars:
On Jan. 1, 2004, each of the political parties will get a
nice, fat cheque equal to $1.75 for each vote garnered in
the last federal election, held in 2000.
By pure blind coincidence, that will give the Liberal party
a whopping $9.2 million - almost enough to pay off its
outstanding debts and still cover the party's $8.5 million
in annual operating expenses.
In fact, the Grits will be swimming in cash - almost $4.5
million, or over half the party's annual budget, is now used
for fundraising which, in future, will consist mainly of
cashing a government cheque.
The Tories, by comparison, are almost $4 million in debt,
but will be getting only $1.9 million - not a pretty picture
heading into a probable election year.
The Bloc Quebecois will make out like (separatist) bandits,
hauling in $2.4 million, more than they generally raise o! n
their own.
The Canadian Alliance, the one party that has been
consistently howling about the new legislation, will
nonetheless be cashing a windfall government cheque for $5.7
million.
Finally, even if you have never voted NDP, your paycheque
will help to finance the party of the left to the tune of
$1.9 million a year.
But this little $21 million bonanza for the five parties is
not the end of your largesse.
The government is also tossing in an estimated $20.5 million
as rebates to parties for their campaign expenses in an
election year - almost three times what they got in 2000.
Other changes will bring the total raid on the public purse
to roughly $124 million over the average four years between
elections.
How will your money be spent?
The auditor general won't be able to tell us - she has no
jurisdiction when it comes to political parties.
And don't bother trying to find out through the Access to
Information Act -! it doesn't apply to political parties,
either.
So the next time party panhandlers come to your home begging
for a political donation, just tell them you've already been
robbed at the office.

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<TITLE>One last tax grab - crime alert!!!!</TITLE>

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<DIV>The
only good news about this is that it will allow individuals to contribute up to
$5000 annually instead of $750.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Let's
see if your MP will listen to you now!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left>-----Original Message----- From: Michael Millar
[mailto:mich-@BoldTrueFree.com] Sent: Friday, June 13, 2003 3:35
PM To: Sandra Gibbs; David Hawkins Subject: One last tax
grab - crime alert!!!! </DIV> June 12, 2003 
<H1>One last tax grab </H1> By
GREG WESTON -- Sun Media OTTAWA -- Two years ago this month, federal
politicians celebrated the end of the spring parliamentary session by merrily
ripping open the public purse, stuffing their pockets with 20% pay raises, and
skipping town for their summer vacations with barely a middle-finger salute to
Canadian taxpayers. Well, beware the ides of June. As MPs prepare to
shut down the Commons and flee the capital for this summer's recess - as early
as tomorrow - they are again raiding the federal treasury, this time to fill the
coffers of their respective political parties. Sweeping new political
financing laws passed by the Commons last night will siphon up to $26 million
from taxpayers' pockets every year - and up to $47 million in election years -
and pump it directly into the bank accounts of the five political parties.
 Like! so many Liberal initiatives, the overhaul of political financing was a
good idea turned sour by Grit machinations. The new legislation all but bans
political donations from corporations and trade unions, limiting them to $1,000
a year, while capping contributions from individuals at $5,000. So far, so
good: nothing corrupts quicker than a truckload of cash. Even the perception
that big money buys big influence in government decision-making creates public
cynicism and undermines trust in our democratic institutions. We need look
no further than the U.S., where the political system runs mainly on money.
 For Prime Minister Jean Chretien, however, there was one small hitch to
simply canning corporate and union donations - no party gets more dough from
corporate boardrooms than the Liberals. Whereupon, the PM decreed that most
corporate and trade union money would simply be replaced with taxpayers' money.
 The Liberal party will be ! laughing all the way to the next election.
 Here is what is about to happen to your hard-earned tax dollars: On Jan.
1, 2004, each of the political parties will get a nice, fat cheque equal to
$1.75 for each vote garnered in the last federal election, held in 2000. By
pure blind coincidence, that will give the Liberal party a whopping $9.2 million
- almost enough to pay off its outstanding debts and still cover the party's
$8.5 million in annual operating expenses. In fact, the Grits will be
swimming in cash - almost $4.5 million, or over half the party's annual budget,
is now used for fundraising which, in future, will consist mainly of cashing a
government cheque. The Tories, by comparison, are almost $4 million in debt,
but will be getting only $1.9 million - not a pretty picture heading into a
probable election year. The Bloc Quebecois will make out like (separatist)
bandits, hauling in $2.4 million, more than they generally raise o! n their own.
 The Canadian Alliance, the one party that has been consistently howling
about the new legislation, will nonetheless be cashing a windfall government
cheque for $5.7 million. Finally, even if you have never voted NDP, your
paycheque will help to finance the party of the left to the tune of $1.9 million
a year. But this little $21 million bonanza for the five parties is not the
end of your largesse. The government is also tossing in an estimated $20.5
million as rebates to parties for their campaign expenses in an election year -
almost three times what they got in 2000. Other changes will bring the total
raid on the public purse to roughly $124 million over the average four years
between elections. How will your money be spent? The auditor general
won't be able to tell us - she has no jurisdiction when it comes to political
parties. And don't bother trying to find out through the Access to
Information Act -! it doesn't apply to political parties, either. So the
next time party panhandlers come to your home begging for a political donation,
just tell them you've already been robbed at the office.
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ </BODY></HTML>

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