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jazzbro
Cabinet Minister
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Joined: 27 May 2006
Posts: 427
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| Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 7:51 am Post subject: Why should taxpayers |
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I don't get it. And actually find it offensive.
The provincial gov't here in MB just introduced a bill fixing election dates (fine) and providing for political party welfare by allocating tax dollars to them based on their vote share (outrageous imo, although the federal gov't has been doing this for a while now).
Now as far as I know our political system doesn't require or assume a party system. It certainly has worked out that way practically but I don't believe it's enshrined anywhere. And many could and have argued that the party system itself is actually counter to good government. So on that basis alone I don't agree with it.
Further, assigning dollars to popular vote has to entail some form of looking backwards, as the vote share calculation must be based on the last election. Random polling would be unreliable indicators and assailable on statistical grounds.ad, bad, bad. So you allocate dollars based on 4 yrs prior election results? Bogus.
But the most morally offensive reason is simply that one's tax dollars are being used for political purposes period. Parties no longer need to work for their funding - they simply "get" it with no direct effort. This is just plain wrong.
And I don't understand how we've lost our way like this - at the provincial or federal levels. If there is some element of 'leveling the playing field' required (I don't really believe in that either) in financial resources, it can easily be handled with spending limit laws, which we already have. Bad, bad, bad. |
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Nomad
Cabinet Minister
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Joined: 13 May 2005
Posts: 2023
Location: British Saskatchalbertatoba
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| Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 9:53 am Post subject: |
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Like it or not, agree with it or not, every one of us funds all the federal parties. I know I sleep much better now, content in the knowledge that a few of my pennies are helping Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe, not to mention the help that I'm providing to the cash-strapped Liberals.
Because the alternative is unthinkably nasty and evil and Un-Canadian. Universal everything - that's the motto. Everybody pays for everything, because that's what's needed to keep those horrid corporations from taking over the world. We're protecting your rights by taking them away. You don't need choice - just pay for everything and be happy.
"Canada - What can we take from you today?©" |
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Phillippe
Sgt. at Arms
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Joined: 21 Feb 2005
Posts: 2352
Location: Westmount, Québec, Canada
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| Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 10:22 am Post subject: |
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The Bloc are able to stage such elaborate elections in Québec with TV ads and paper campaigns because of the money they recieve from tax payers. Without that money, it's doubtful they'd be much of a force-- Industry in Québec tends to donate either to the Libs or Tories. Provincially, the PQ has been forced to sell candy because of the unpopular notion of separatism among the business elite. If we cut these spending campaigns, we'd be rid of the bloc--there'd be no way they could keep up.
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"To memory is tied an ambition, a claim--that of being faithful to the past"
-- Paul Ricoeur |
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jazzbro
Cabinet Minister
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Joined: 27 May 2006
Posts: 427
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| Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 10:47 am Post subject: |
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I don't even really care if they limit donations at the individual level and ban them outright on corporations and unions - which has also been done. And they can limit the total spending by parties to a fairly low amount - I'm okay with that too. So it's not even a matter anymore of corporations or the business lobby as a whole 'buying' elections.
It's just simply wrong for the government to fund political parties.
(e.g. - the most recent Tory 'in-and-out' mini-scandal wouldn't even be an issue if government 'rebates' weren't involved in the first place! Ugh.) |
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