Failure to put changes to independent review cited as broken promise party allowance cited as short term pain for long term gain
The new BC Government's amendments to ban big money from politics is getting mixed reviews. David Moscrop is an SFU Political Scientist and a columnist for Macleans Magazine.
Says the new rules will prove a good thing in the long run -- but right now voters will be feeling betrayed on 2 counts.
Moscrop says Premier John Horgan promised to put any elections act changes to an independent commission, and that isn't happening now:
" In fact, the thing that irritates me the most is that they were going to farm this out to a commission. By the way, I thought that was a stupid idea. But they made a promise, and now they've broken their promise."
Moscrop adds taxpayers may also be angered by having to pay the parties an annual allowance for the next 5 years to help wean them off the unlimited corporate, union and individual donations they've become used to. But Moscrop says it's really short term pain for long term gain:
" It's a little bit irritating, it's unexpected. But it's temporary and it's going to lead to a much better system than we currently have. So I can live with it."
With an allowance both the NDP and Liberals would receive just over $8-million dollars over 5 years, while the Green party would get 3.4 million.