British Columbians can have confidence of getting meaningful answers now that a special prosecutor has been appointed in the investigation of possible violations of the Elections Act.
The Criminal Justice Branch said Thursday that Vancouver lawyer David Butcher will advise the RCMP as the force investigates contributions made to B.C.’s political parties. It’s an important step in ensuring that the probe has credibility and is seen to be free of any political taint.
Chief electoral officer Keith Archer took the first step on that road, when he opened an investigation and then decided to hand it off to the RCMP to “ensure that there is no perception that Elections B.C.’s ability to administer the [May 9] general election in a fair, neutral and impartial manner is in any way compromised.”
Then, on Monday, the RCMP went to assistant deputy attorney general Peter Juk to ask that he consider the appointment of a special prosecutor.
The Mounties are looking into “indirect donations,” where payments are made by an individual on behalf of an organization, which is prohibited under the Election Act.
The B.C. Liberal Party said last week it found 43 indirect political donations worth almost $93,000 and that it planned to reimburse the money. The NDP said it has found $12,000 worth of donation mistakes.
The problems generally arose when people made donations on their credit cards, and then were reimbursed by clients or other companies. Donors are required to contribute under their own names.
Penalties for violating the financing provisions are a fine of not more than $10,000, imprisonment for a term of not longer than one year, or both.
The B.C. Liberals, who reported donations of $12.4 million last year, have refused to ban corporate and union donations, so they have to live with the fallout of this latest revelation about the money that funds political campaigns. And they have to live with nagging public suspicion that those donations buy a sympathetic hearing from political leaders.
With the election only weeks away, the RCMP probe won’t be finished before voters go to the polls, but the questions should be on voters’ minds as they consider the parties’ positions. Pointed questions at all-candidates’ meetings might remind the politicians that we care.
The issue might not be as important as jobs or health care, but British Columbians’ trust is undermined when they see evidence that their political system is tilted in favour of those with the fattest wallets.
The RCMP investigation won’t change that perception, but it should tell us whether anyone broke the law.
