Capital region politicians expressed disappointment that a motion to get big money out of local government elections failed to make it to a vote at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver on Wednesday.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps called it a “very weak move” by delegates to refer the issue back to the UBCM executive for further study. The organization represents the interests of local governments.
“I was just shocked,” she said. “I thought it would pass no problem, because it’s been all the talk. But people started saying: ‘Oh, it’s too complicated.’ ”
The resolution, drafted by Oak Bay Coun. Kevin Murdoch, urged the province to extend provincial campaign finance reforms to local government elections.
Attorney General David Eby introduced a bill last week that would ban union and corporate political donations, cap individual contributions at $1,200 a year and provide a temporary taxpayer subsidy to political parties.
Murdoch said in a telephone interview that several people spoke in favour of his resolution, while others raised questions about the broad wording and whether it would result in taxpayer subsidies for municipal campaigns.
Helps tried to address some of those concerns with an amendment that rejected taxpayer subsidies. Her amendment passed, but the overall resolution was still referred back to the executive.
“I’m feeling a little frustrated that the debate was cut short, because I believe everybody in that room supports the idea of campaign finance reform,” Murdoch said, noting that the UBCM passed a resolution in 2015 calling for a ban on union and corporate donations and limits on individual contributions.
“I fear we’re going to lose the window of opportunity and give an excuse not to make these changes prior to the next municipal election.”
The UBCM said in a statement that its position on campaign finance reform has not changed since the resolution was passed in 2015.
“The debate today does not question the overall principle, but is more of a reflection that you have to start from the ground up to develop legislation that is appropriate to local governments,” the statement said.
Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen, whose council endorsed Murdoch’s resolution, said the B.C. NDP government, with the backing of the B.C. Green Party, could still act on its own to impose new rules on local government elections.
“But I doubt very much they would want to do that without a full consultation with local governments and the UBCM,” he said.
As it stands, Jensen said, “the next time likely we’re going to be seeing anything on this will be the next UBCM convention in September of next year.”
Murdoch said there’s an outside chance his resolution will make it back to the floor on Thursday, as there are questions about whether it was properly sidelined without debate.
“I don’t actually know for sure what’s going to happen until we get a ruling,” he said.
Helps argued that delegates need to get on with things.
“The time to jump on this is now,” she said. “We have a municipal election coming up in 2018. It’s top of mind for the public, it’s top of mind for the government.
“People said: ‘Oh, it’s too complicated.’ It’s not that complicated.”
