In provincial and federal
elections the rules are entirely different. Rules govern how much can be raised
from each donor and how much can be raised in total. Likewise, they govern how
it can be spent, and on what. Campaign finance rules also govern disclosure, as
well as who and what entities can contribute.
Reporting requirements are
stringent and violations carry serious penalties. In some Canadian
jurisdictions, municipal elections are no exception to campaign finance rules.
It is time that we tightened up the rules around how campaigns are financed at
the municipal level here. It only makes sense, and it is absolutely vital in an
open, democratic society.
Why hasn't it happened
yet? It simply hasn't been a big issue in Nova Scotia. Outside of Halifax the
money involved in municipal elections is relatively minor. That doesn't reduce
the need for vigilance, but it keeps it off the radar, especially when some municipalities
are fighting for survival.
But in Halifax, as with some
others, we are talking about big jurisdictions and increasingly large amounts
of money. I should know since I raised more money for a single election
campaign than anyone else in our municipality’s history. And I could have
raised more. And you know what? No law that would have prevented me, or any
candidate, from taking that money and using it for anything I wished. Clearly,
this is not right.
In my own case I did at
least two wise things when I ran for Mayor in 2012. I appointed an experienced and tough official agent
who controlled our finances in fine detail. And I limited donations to $5,000
when we could have collected multiple times that amount. We still raised an
amount of money that likely dwarfed our needs, but we didn't know that at the
outset when I challenged an incumbent who was pledging to run again.
A campaign for Mayor of
Halifax involves more direct voters than any other election east of Quebec. The
average provincial constituency has a total population of approximately 18,000;
the average federal constituency has approximately 85,000 people. Halifax has
over 413,000 people. The municipality includes all or part of seven federal
ridings, and approximately 20 provincial ridings. Each municipal district is now larger than
each provincial constituency. We should be subject to reasonable campaign
finance guidelines.
Some will ask, "Where
is this problem we are we trying to fix?" The simple fact is in the
absence of rules we cannot even see the problems. It is a basic tenent of
modern governance that money in politics must be tracked and controlled. Nova
Scotia’s municipal governments should not be the Wild West of campaign finance.
We are better than this, and it’s time for change.
On Monday, November 24, I
will be asking our Executive Committee to recommend to Regional Council that we
address the issue of Campaign Financing of Municipal elections. Of course, any
change will require the support of the Provincial government as it would require
changes to provincial legislation. I know the government have myriad priorities
and likely aren't keen to address an issue that hasn't been raised by most
municipalities. But in my view, it's time to fix a system that turns a blind
eye to how elections are financed.
