The Conservatives are ready to re-visit the issue of subsidies for political parties, a welcome assertion of the importance of individuals in the political syst

From Monday’s Globe and Mail Published on Sunday, Jun. 20, 2010 10:00PM EDT Last updated on Monday, Jun. 21, 2010 12:28PM EDT

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/political-parties-need-to-raise-their-own-money/article1610999/

The Conservatives are ready to re-visit the issue of subsidies for political parties, a welcome assertion of the importance of individuals in the political system, and a necessary move given the subsidy’s failure to make politics cleaner or more inclusive.

The subsidy gives political parties that got at least 2 per cent of the vote in the last general election $1.95 per year for every vote they received. Dimitri Soudas, Stephen Harper’s director of communications, told La Presse recently that the elimination of the subsidy would be “written in black and white” in the Conserative Party’s next electoral platform. Continue reading →

Canadians’ tax dollars are being used legally but quite flagrantly to finance a party that wants to break up the country

Jeffrey Simpson

From Wednesday’s Globe and Mail Published on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010 5:00AM EDT Last updated on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010 1:46PM EDT

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/party-financing-yes-end-the-public-subsidy-but-raise-the-individual-limit/article1668452/

The law of unintended consequences can be seen by a quick reference to Elections Canada’s website.

There, details of party financing are revealed. The story of those details shows how the Liberals have been hurt by their own legislation, and how the Bloc Québécois has walked away the big winner from public financing of parties. Continue reading →