It won't remove all our skepticism about politics, but it would be a heck of a start.
Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington has once again introduced legislation to ban corporate and union donations from provincial and municipal politics, and despite the obvious benefits of the bill, it could well suffer the same fate as her earlier attempts.
There's a perception out there that politicians are beholden to those that write big cheques at election time and that when decisions are made by government they tend to favour the deep pocketed rather than the average citizen. Like most perceptions, there are elements of fact and fiction to this one, but with one fell swoop Huntington's bill could make it all a moot point.
When you hear about $1,000-a-plate, or $10,000-a-plate, dinners to support a particular candidate or party, you can't help but think those politicians are being bought. Oh sure, it might be more subtle than that, but it's hard to believe those making contributions of that magnitude aren't expecting something in return. Why else would they donate?
A few years back I remember Delta sought a legal opinion on a potential conflict of interest after approving a development proposal put forth by a campaign donor. There was no conflict in the legal sense because everything had been declared, but the fact it even became an issue suggests there are very real concerns out there over the link between campaign contributions and government decision-making.
The current arrangement here in B.C. casts a shadow that simply doesn't need to be there. If corporate and union donations are banned, the assertion that certain donors are pulling strings disappears, or at least loses a significant amount of steam in the absence of a money trail.
Does that mean right-wing governments stop favouring big business or left-leaning governments turn their backs on unions? Of course not. Those affiliations, and voting tendencies, will always be there, but without being able to draw a direct line to donors, the public just might feel that a decision was made in the best interests of all, not just a moneyed few.
OK, so it might take time to eradicate our cynicism, but Huntington's bill moves us toward that place.
