Did you know we subsidize political parties in BC? The Canadian Taxpayers' Federation wants you to know, and they want your help to do something about it.
"What that means is, if you're a political party and you get at least five percent of the popular vote during a provincial election, you automatically get $2.50 per vote from B-C taxpayers," says B-C Director Kris Sims. "That might not sound like a lot, but when you add it up it's pretty gross. They get now, more than $16,000,000 from taxpayers every four years to political parties."
Where does that money go?
"This isn't to fund the ballot boxes, signage and vote day," says Sims. "That's Elections BC, that's different. This money goes to the BC Liberal Party, The BC Green Party, The BC New Democrat Party, to pay for their lawn signs, their attack ads and that junk mail that fills up your mailbox. Taxpayers are paying for that stuff."
Sims adds politicians should be canvassing for their own funds.
"If a party wants to get money, they should go to individuals and explain their ideas and their principles rationally with great arguments, and then people can put their money where their mouths are. They can donate of their own free will."
The CTF has a petition to end the subsidy on their website.