NDP Cleared of Violating Election Finance Law

In October of 2005, a Tory backed complaint was made to Elections Manitoba over the NDP's former practice of accepting bundled donations from unions. After an investigation, the lawyer for the Chief Electoral Officer recently stated that "no charges would be laid in this matter."

Bundling was the practice of having a union or company take deductions from employees pay cheques, then write one cheque to make a donation to a political party. The members agreed to make the donation but instead of writing their own cheques, it was done through payroll deductions.

Government House Leader Dave Chomiak says the statement from the Chief Electoral Officer proves the allegations of wrongdoing were "bogus. Elections Manitoba found there is no problem."

The issue arose as a result of the NDP introducing legislation in 2001 that bans unions and corporations from making donations to political parties, and limiting individual contributions to $3,000 per person per year. The original act didn't indicate whether unions and corporations could collect donations on behalf of a political party.

On the recommendation of the Chief Electoral Office, in the spring of 2006 Premier Gary Doer amended the act to ban the practice of bundling. The NDP has of course stopped the practice, but at the time the complaint was filed, it was entirely legal - as confirmed in January by the Chief Electoral Officer.