After every election, be it federal, provincial or municipal, it is always an interesting exercise to peruse candidates' financial disclosures.
After every election, be it federal, provincial or municipal, it is always an interesting exercise to peruse candidates' financial disclosures. These brief documents simply state who a candidate received money from – and how much – to aid them in their bid for office.
To some they might seem trivial, but the names on the list can lend insight into the priorities of a candidate. Citizens and the media can also be diligent to measure how those campaign contributors might influence an elected official's decision-making. There is often a perception that people might feel beholden to those who propped them up financially during the election – especially if they are considering multiple terms.
It is for that reason that accountability over financial reporting is so important. For example, during the last municipal election in St. Albert almost every candidate who won a seat received support from one or multiple developers. The exception was Coun. Sheena Hughes who was virtually self-funded. Do those financial contributions unduly influence a councillor's decisions around the council table? While they might not, financial reporting at least provides a mechanism to ensure a level of public oversight.
Third-party support for candidates is currently a free for all during municipal elections. As it stands, third parties can invest immeasurable amounts of money endorsing candidates. While on the surface that might not seem like a problem, it does provide a mechanism for candidates to circumvent contribution laws. For example, a developer, union or other special-interest group could invest thousands through a third party to prop up a candidate. While the candidates might claim no relationship to or knowledge of those secret endorsements, there is no way to know for sure.
This was an issue that was recognized and corrected at both the federal and provincial levels. For those elections, third parties must register and report their election spending and where their money comes from.
City council has considered this issue since the last election after third-party advertisement played a major role in the election campaign. The debate reemerged on Monday when it was suggested the city enact a bylaw to govern rules around third-party advertising.
The idea was squashed and rightly so. This is something that needs to be enshrined in the province's Local Authority Elections Act. For that reason it is good council chose to continue lobbying the province for such a change.
It should also eliminate the anonymous nature of third party advertising. While some believe this puts residents at risk of retribution, the other side of the coin is much more nefarious. Democracy can only function if the process is transparent and the public deserves to know who our candidates might owe allegiance to through money. Government transparency trumps the right to anonymity.
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