MFL President Reacts to McFayden Comments

Tory Leader McFayden sees Bill 37 - amending political party financing rules - far differently than does MFL President Dziewit

- Darlene Dziewit

Well, it appears that Opposition Leader Hugh McFayden is at it again. In a column recently published by the Winnipeg Free Press, he referred to Bill 37, as defying "basic principles of democracy". The man is so short of ideas that he can only cry "shock and outrage" at a bill which will make our political process fairer, as well as more transparent and democratic.

When the NDP Government passed legislation banning corporate and union donations, it was a good first step (as I recall, the Conservatives were crying foul then, too). Banning corporate and union donations, while limiting personal donations, restricted the influence of those who could afford to contribute large sums of money to political parties.

In fact, since 1999, the Federal Government and several other provinces have followed Manitoba's lead in legislating similar bans and restrictions. The Federal Government even went one step further by providing financial support to political parties, based on an annual payment to each party reflecting the amount of support that party received at the polls in the previous election.

Sound familiar? This is exactly what is being proposed in Bill 37. What could be fairer? All political parties will benefit, not just those who satisfy a certain threshold of support.

Most progressive, democratic countries provide some form of financial support to their political parties. It levels the playing field and stops those with the financial resources from unduly influencing elections. We have only to look south of Canada to see what not to do.

In the United States, raising huge sums of money from individuals and PACs (Political Action Committees), coupled with no spending limits has created a bloated, unfair political system. In the USA, only candidates who are extraordinarily wealthy themselves, or who have access to unlimited wealth, are able to run for office and win. It is rumoured that Senator Hillary Clinton has spent more that $12 million of her own money, in order to run for the presidential nomination of her party.

So, do I consider bill 37 undemocratic? Absolutely not. A tax grab? Hardly. In fact, the only amendment I would make to this legislation would be to extend it to that last bastion of corporate, union and unrestricted personal donations, the Winnipeg City Council.

Hugh McFayden has referred to the limiting of advertising by political parties as "sinister". He takes exception to having restrictions placed on mid-term advertising. As well, Mr. McFayden is upset by an all party committee of the legislature being given the mandate to determine what MLA's can send out at the public's expense. One thing that I have observed over the years is that when decisions that affect everyone are determined by everyone, generally the right thing gets done. Besides, as a voter, I can tell you that nothing ever takes the place of good old personal contact between elected officials and the voters they represent.

I found Mr. McFayden's comments on government advertising expenditures, the purpose of which is to inform the public about government initiatives and programs, disingenuous at best. Under Hugh's watch as a senior advisor to the Filmon government, I recall some pretty blatant public ads.

Mr. McFayden's comments about the provisions of Bill 37 in dealing with lobbyists are so extreme as to be laughable. In a small province like Manitoba, where we all like to say that everyone knows everyone else's business, and where we all lobby pretty much out in the open, I am not sure we need to register lobbyists.

However, in the interest of transparency, it is probably not a bad idea. It appears that the basis of the Opposition Leader's objection is that the governing party might find out who is meeting with the Opposition. Like that's any big surprise. Right, Canadian Federation of Independent Business and Taxpayers Federation? And speaking of democracy, perhaps these two organizations will tell us who they really represent, how their policies are determined and who funds them.

At the outset of his column in the Winnipeg Free Press, Hugh McFayden accused the NDP of seeking to "keep the ruling party in power ad infinitum". It seems to me that, by his choice of ideas to get up in arms about, Mr. McFayden is doing a good job of that, all by himself. Maybe Hugh should go back to planning that lake in Point Douglas and leave the "vision thing" to others.