Government funding of parties unfair to independent candidates?

[JLM]

I'm not the kind who'd normally vote Conservative, but on the point of cutting government funding, I'm with them 100%. Why should political parties get funding for every vote they get while independent candidates are on their own. Winning a seat as an independent is tough enough when competing against other candidates using party brand recognition on their side. But to then give put them at an even greater disadvantage by then funding political parties!?

Where's the democracy in this? I'm in favour of simply cutting funding for parties and candidates alike during an election, but if push came to shove and we had to subsidize someone, I'd rather we give the money to independents rather than to parties when we consider that party members have an edge over independents already anyway.

I usually identify myself as more sympathetic to the left than to the right, but I'm shocked and appalled at how the Libs and NDP are supporting such unjust funding. Your thoughts?

You are absolutely right, not only is it unfair to the Independent, but it's grossly unfair to the taxpayer. I'm equally as UNSYMPATHETIC to the left as the right because basically they are both tarred with the same brush, you don't trust either. :roll:

 

[Machjo]

Scary part is there was no uproar when this law was passed. I don'tblame the parties alone for this, but the voter too. Our fello compatriots truly can be stupid.

 

[mit]

This election reform was brought in by Jean Chretein to counter a perception or reality that the Libs were funded by large corporations Whether it is 10 cents a vote or 10 bucks their is a reward for political parties developing policies that appeal to a certain sector of the electorate - The Greens would not have grown without this funding. As far as Independant candidates go I agree they should receive some funding if they get a certain percentage of their riding votes

 

[Colpy]

I am absolutely disgusted that Harper has backed off on stopping this funding of political parties. The man is badly spooked.......get a grip!

Cutting tax-payer funding to political parties was simply the right thing to do, even if done for the wrong reasons.

Backing off is stupid........it won't help the current crisis, as the Opposition smells blood in the water, and it weakens Harper's position with the public in the next election,......he can no longer say "They destroyed the gov't because we tried to push their hog-noses out of the public trough"

Stupid on Harper's part.

This country is going to hell in a bucket......fast.

 

[Tyr]

Flipflopin' masterpiece

What you're seeing is Prime Minister Stephen Harper, his pride sacrificed before the fall, is in full white-flag-waving surrender mode.


The Conservatives engaged full reverse policy thrust over the weekend to avoid their defeat to a coalition of the whining, an unholy alliance of Liberals and New Democrats in cahoots with the Bloc Quebecois who, incredibly, still insist nothing has been done to derail their lunge for power.


The once-defiant Conservatives withdrew their provocative move to axe public funding of political parties on Saturday and terminated plans to deny civil servants the right to strike on Sunday.


Then Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced his federal budget would drop within 24 hours of the House of Commons reconvening in late January, including an infrastructure stimulus package of some sort.


Pragmatism, which took leave of Stephen Harper's senses last week, finally returned as a survival strategy, served up with a hefty slice of humble pie that rarely appears on this prime minister's menu.

 

[Colpy]

Flipflopin' masterpiece

What you're seeing is Prime Minister Stephen Harper, his pride sacrificed before the fall, is in full white-flag-waving surrender mode.


The Conservatives engaged full reverse policy thrust over the weekend to avoid their defeat to a coalition of the whining, an unholy alliance of Liberals and New Democrats in cahoots with the Bloc Quebecois who, incredibly, still insist nothing has been done to derail their lunge for power.


The once-defiant Conservatives withdrew their provocative move to axe public funding of political parties on Saturday and terminated plans to deny civil servants the right to strike on Sunday.


Then Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced his federal budget would drop within 24 hours of the House of Commons reconvening in late January, including an infrastructure stimulus package of some sort.


Pragmatism, which took leave of Stephen Harper's senses last week, finally returned as a survival strategy, served up with a hefty slice of humble pie that rarely appears on this prime minister's menu.

Now THAT I agree with, every word.......and I'm a card-carrying Conservative.

 

[Risus]

I am absolutely disgusted that Harper has backed off on stopping this funding of political parties. The man is badly spooked.......get a grip!

Cutting tax-payer funding to political parties was simply the right thing to do, even if done for the wrong reasons.

Backing off is stupid........it won't help the current crisis, as the Opposition smells blood in the water, and it weakens Harper's position with the public in the next election,......he can no longer say "They destroyed the gov't because we tried to push their hog-noses out of the public trough"

Stupid on Harper's part.

This country is going to hell in a bucket......fast.

And even faster if the blood sucking liberals get control...

 

[Zzarchov]

I'm not the kind who'd normally vote Conservative, but on the point of cutting government funding, I'm with them 100%. Why should political parties get funding for every vote they get while independent candidates are on their own. Winning a seat as an independent is tough enough when competing against other candidates using party brand recognition on their side. But to then give put them at an even greater disadvantage by then funding political parties!?

Where's the democracy in this? I'm in favour of simply cutting funding for parties and candidates alike during an election, but if push came to shove and we had to subsidize someone, I'd rather we give the money to independents rather than to parties when we consider that party members have an edge over independents already anyway.

I usually identify myself as more sympathetic to the left than to the right, but I'm shocked and appalled at how the Libs and NDP are supporting such unjust funding. Your thoughts?

I personally think independants should get money in the same way as parties based on their role in the last election.

 

[Zzarchov]

"They destroyed the gov't because we tried to push their hog-noses out of the public trough"

Its almost like the public directly chooses how much to fund the parties.

What gives 1/3rd of the population the right to tell the 0ther 2/3rds what to do with their money?