The current provincial government have changed the rules for campaign financing in a deeply problematic way. But these are not future problems; they are problems of the here and now:
Here’s a scenario: A candidate raises $500,000 from multiple donors in the 2024 year in their campaign for Mayor. A councillor could raise thousands in 2024. Some of those donors may be developers with active proposals before Council. Some may be businesses with a vested interest in a council policy or decision. Meanwhile, if one of those sitting councillors were running for re-election or mayor, they could be actively taking or soliciting campaign donations from those same businesses or developers. This is the problem with preceding year and campaign year funding without appropriate guardrails for disclosure. This is only amplified by big money political parties fundraising even larger and larger sums of cash.
Under the new rules introduced by the UCP late last year, donations received in 2024 may not even be disclosed to the public until late in 2025, and election year donations in 2025 may not see sunlight until well into the incoming Council’s term in 2026.
Myself and most of my council colleagues have been on the record opposing the fact that big money does not belong in politics. Many current councillors have been critical of the numerous changes: vastly increasing campaign spending limits, voting machine requirements, the introduction of municipal political parties, and allowing corporate and union donations.
Candidates used to publicly disclose their donors within 6 months of the election. I voluntarily disclosed mine in advance of the election date.
We all agree that gifts can have undue influence, or the perception of undue influence and that is why I’m calling for a quarterly campaign financial disclosure process for municipal candidates seeking re-election. This mirrors the process we have for disclosure of other gifts received and publicly disclosed online.
I’m working with my colleagues on crafting a motion in consultation with the Integrity Commissioner, the Ethics Commissioner to put transparency back into our municipal campaign financing.
We are limited under the provincial legislation in terms of what we are able to implement, but I believe we must find a path to preserve some of the transparency and fairness that was lost in the UCP’s Bill 20. And, with enough public awareness and pressure we can convince the UCP to correct, amend, and repeal their problematic election legislation reforms.
Whether it is the Premier and her Cabinet accepting skybox seats or the scandals stacking up in the USA, we are constantly reminded that public trust is fragile, democracy is fragile, and we must demand of all elected officials, especially those at the table today, a higher standard of transparency and accountability.
