LILLEY: Ford and PCs to take millions in "political welfare" from taxpayers
New legislation extends and increases the 'per vote' subsidy the Ford government vowed to eliminate
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Feb 25, 2021 • 18 hours ago • 3 minute read • comment bubble122 Comments
Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park, Toronto, Canada
Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park, Toronto, Canada
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Doug Ford once blasted per vote subsidies as “political welfare” but is now backing legislation to keep taxpayer dollars heading into party coffers.
It’s a bad idea and Ford should abandon it now, especially as he continues to impose restrictions on businesses that keep them from earning their own money.
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How can any politician justify the optics of telling a small business they can apply for a $20,000 grant and have some utility bills covered while political parties take millions from the public purse?
The revival of a subsidy for each vote a party gets is just one of many changes that the Ford government is proposing under Bill 254.
It’s also the most offensive.
“I do not believe the government should be taking money from hard-working taxpayers and giving it to political parties,” Doug Ford posted to Facebook when he was campaigning for the PC leadership in early 2018.
After Ford was elected premier in June 2018, he moved quickly to end the subsidy.
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The 2018 fall economic statement set the course for reducing the quarterly subsidy and eventually ending it in 2022.
“The government believes that taxpayers should not be forced to pay more and work harder to make life easier for politicians,” the document said at the time.
“The government believes that tax dollars are best left in the hands of taxpayers, not political parties.”
Now they obviously believe your money belongs in party coffers.
Instead of following through on reducing and then eliminating the per vote subsidy, the new legislation not only extends the subsidy, it increases it from $1.80 per vote to $2.54 per vote.
“This subsidy is being extended due to the financial impact of COVID-19,” the government said in a news release.
I’m not sure why COVID-19 means political parties need more of your money.
The federal Liberals, Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois all finished 2020 with record fundraising tallies for the fourth quarter despite the economic impact of the pandemic.
Year over year tallies were comparable to previous years.
The PC Party raised $3.4 million in 2020, the NDP $1.7 million and the Liberals just shy of $2 million according to Elections Ontario figures.
Under these new and expanded rules, the Ontario PC Party would take in $5.9 million from the subsidy, the NDP would get $4.9 million, the Liberals $2.8 million and the Greens roughly $671,000.
No wonder the parties love the per vote subsidy!
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This move is wrong on so many levels, the worst being that the generosity towards political parties is greater than what businesses hurt by government decisions can receive.
There are other issues though including parties getting paid for a decision made years ago that you may now regret.
How many people who voted for Ford and the PC Party in 2018 won’t be doing so in 2022?
What about voters who deserted the Liberals for the NDP to protest the Wynne government but will switch back now?
If we were dealing with donations then monthly payments to the parties could be stopped, under this system the money keeps flowing even if your support goes elsewhere.
There are other problems with this bill including what are likely unconstitutional changes to third party advertising and restrictions that stretch out a full year before the election.
The big thing that Ford needs to walk away from though is filling the coffers of political parties while businesses still shut down on his orders wonder when they can start filling theirs by serving paying customers.
torontosun.com
New legislation extends and increases the 'per vote' subsidy the Ford government vowed to eliminate
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Feb 25, 2021 • 18 hours ago • 3 minute read • comment bubble122 Comments
Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park, Toronto, Canada
Ontario Legislative Building at Queen's Park, Toronto, Canada
Article content
Doug Ford once blasted per vote subsidies as “political welfare” but is now backing legislation to keep taxpayer dollars heading into party coffers.
It’s a bad idea and Ford should abandon it now, especially as he continues to impose restrictions on businesses that keep them from earning their own money.
'SIGN ME ON': Charlize Theron wants lesbian 'Die Hard' role
Trackerdslogo
How can any politician justify the optics of telling a small business they can apply for a $20,000 grant and have some utility bills covered while political parties take millions from the public purse?
The revival of a subsidy for each vote a party gets is just one of many changes that the Ford government is proposing under Bill 254.
It’s also the most offensive.
“I do not believe the government should be taking money from hard-working taxpayers and giving it to political parties,” Doug Ford posted to Facebook when he was campaigning for the PC leadership in early 2018.
After Ford was elected premier in June 2018, he moved quickly to end the subsidy.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
The 2018 fall economic statement set the course for reducing the quarterly subsidy and eventually ending it in 2022.
“The government believes that taxpayers should not be forced to pay more and work harder to make life easier for politicians,” the document said at the time.
“The government believes that tax dollars are best left in the hands of taxpayers, not political parties.”
Now they obviously believe your money belongs in party coffers.
Instead of following through on reducing and then eliminating the per vote subsidy, the new legislation not only extends the subsidy, it increases it from $1.80 per vote to $2.54 per vote.
“This subsidy is being extended due to the financial impact of COVID-19,” the government said in a news release.
I’m not sure why COVID-19 means political parties need more of your money.
The federal Liberals, Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois all finished 2020 with record fundraising tallies for the fourth quarter despite the economic impact of the pandemic.
Year over year tallies were comparable to previous years.
The PC Party raised $3.4 million in 2020, the NDP $1.7 million and the Liberals just shy of $2 million according to Elections Ontario figures.
Under these new and expanded rules, the Ontario PC Party would take in $5.9 million from the subsidy, the NDP would get $4.9 million, the Liberals $2.8 million and the Greens roughly $671,000.
No wonder the parties love the per vote subsidy!
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
This move is wrong on so many levels, the worst being that the generosity towards political parties is greater than what businesses hurt by government decisions can receive.
There are other issues though including parties getting paid for a decision made years ago that you may now regret.
How many people who voted for Ford and the PC Party in 2018 won’t be doing so in 2022?
What about voters who deserted the Liberals for the NDP to protest the Wynne government but will switch back now?
If we were dealing with donations then monthly payments to the parties could be stopped, under this system the money keeps flowing even if your support goes elsewhere.
There are other problems with this bill including what are likely unconstitutional changes to third party advertising and restrictions that stretch out a full year before the election.
The big thing that Ford needs to walk away from though is filling the coffers of political parties while businesses still shut down on his orders wonder when they can start filling theirs by serving paying customers.
LILLEY: Ford and PCs to take millions in "political welfare" from taxpayers
New legislation extends and increases the 'per vote' subsidy the Ford government vowed to eliminate