This page contains annotated news stories and press releases with commentary about land reform and the democratic process in British Columbia. Our comments are shown in red.
Guess who was at the top of the guest list for the Liberal
Fundraiser?
Yes, your right! Western Forest Products, the largest coastal logging
corporation is doing what they can to show there appreciation for all the gifts
they have received by way of Tree Farm Licence deletions.
Government and Corporations, selling off BC and making a lot doing it.
Dinner helps put cash in Liberal coffers
Apr 09, 2008
By Les Leyne
Best line from Premier Gordon Campbell's speech at a Victoria fundraiser last week: "Often the commentators say, 'You know, this guy Campbell sets these goals, they're crazy, we're never going to do it.' That's why they're commentators and not leaders."
Ouch. Sitting at the back, I was so insulted I tried to lead a mass walkout in protest. But no one followed, so I slunk back in.
The rest of his message to the faithful seemed to be that he needs at least three more terms in office to finish accomplishing all the good things underway. Maybe four.
He keyed the speech off three numbers: 150 (B.C.'s 150th anniversary), 681 (days until the Olympics) and 375 (days to the start of the next election campaign).
The more pertinent number is how much cash the evening raised.
Seats ran at $200 apiece, and there were about 600 people on hand, which means the night grossed about $120,000.
The top participants, based on the number of times they were listed on the seating chart, were: Middle Point Harbor, Pristine Power, Capital City Paving, Gowling Lafleur Henderson, Western Forest Products, First Canadian Title Ltd., Plutonic Power and the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association.
Once all the overhead is paid off, the Liberals will bank tens of thousands more dollars for the cause.
Two days after the dinner, Elections B.C. released the annual financial disclosures of B.C. political parties. The hundreds of pages of documents illustrate once again one of the starkest differences between the Liberals and the New Democrats.
The Liberals pulled in about twice the amount of money the New Democrats banked last year, and most of it is from business.
The filings for 2007 show the B.C. Liberals got $5.9 million in political contributions, compared to the New Democrats' $3.1 million.
Other highlights:
? The NDP got $2.8 million from individuals, and $25,224 from corporations. Liberals collected $1.3 million from individuals, and $3.7 million from corporations.
? Liberals managed to get $2,300 from trade unions. The NDP took in $224,000.
? The NDP listed 12,822 small donations (under $250), while the Liberals counted 3,597.
The basic contrast is between one party massively financed by business, and one relying largely on individual members. Both sides argue about the numbers every year. The Liberals harp on their opponents' reliance on unions, while the NDP dwells on the huge cheques that "big business" cuts for the Liberals year in and year out.
Some notably generous backers of the Liberals last year included Brookfield Asset Management ($50,000), Elk Valley Coal Corp. ($56,000), EnCana ($56,000), Goldcorp ($78,700), Teck Cominco Ltd. ($68,180), Teck Cominco Metals ($50,000) and Telus ($52,580).
The NDP enjoyed the generosity of the B.C. Federation of Labour ($22,000) and the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union's "Staff Development Fund" ($86,000).
The release of the two sets of disclosure forms prompted some mutual finger-pointing by both parties. But apart from jeering at the opponent's profile, both parties have separate and different things to worry about in their own numbers.
For all the pride New Democrats can take in having a solid base of grassroots support among regular citizens, their support from business is pathetic. Leader Carole James has repeatedly tried to open lines of communication with the business world. They may be listening politely, but they sure aren't opening their wallets. The Liberals probably cleared more from the one dinner last week than the NDP collected from the business world over an entire year.
The NDP patted themselves on the back once again for being 92 per cent funded by "ordinary individuals." But the gaping hole in their books where a more balanced party would list business support is still a problem. And it looks like it always will be. The $25,000 listed is the lowest amount in the last several years.
Meanwhile, the Liberals' ratio of business/individual support is starting to look embarrassing. Almost 80 per cent of their money comes from corporations or commercial outfits. Only 23 per cent comes from individuals. And they have only a third of the small donors that the New Democrats list.
The bottom line is their consolation. They make almost twice what the NDP makes. As political participation shrinks every year, as measured by the percentage of eligible voters who actually vote, that money starts to make a bigger and bigger difference.
James has repeatedly advocated a ban on all corporate and union political donations. Since that would wipe out 77 per cent of the Liberals bankroll, it's easy to see why that doesn't get much traction.
Ouch. Sitting at the back, I was so insulted I tried to lead a mass walkout in protest. But no one followed, so I slunk back in.
The rest of his message to the faithful seemed to be that he needs at least three more terms in office to finish accomplishing all the good things underway. Maybe four.
He keyed the speech off three numbers: 150 (B.C.'s 150th anniversary), 681 (days until the Olympics) and 375 (days to the start of the next election campaign).
The more pertinent number is how much cash the evening raised.
Seats ran at $200 apiece, and there were about 600 people on hand, which means the night grossed about $120,000.
The top participants, based on the number of times they were listed on the seating chart, were: Middle Point Harbor, Pristine Power, Capital City Paving, Gowling Lafleur Henderson, Western Forest Products, First Canadian Title Ltd., Plutonic Power and the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association.
Once all the overhead is paid off, the Liberals will bank tens of thousands more dollars for the cause.
Two days after the dinner, Elections B.C. released the annual financial disclosures of B.C. political parties. The hundreds of pages of documents illustrate once again one of the starkest differences between the Liberals and the New Democrats.
The Liberals pulled in about twice the amount of money the New Democrats banked last year, and most of it is from business.
The filings for 2007 show the B.C. Liberals got $5.9 million in political contributions, compared to the New Democrats' $3.1 million.
Other highlights:
? The NDP got $2.8 million from individuals, and $25,224 from corporations. Liberals collected $1.3 million from individuals, and $3.7 million from corporations.
? Liberals managed to get $2,300 from trade unions. The NDP took in $224,000.
? The NDP listed 12,822 small donations (under $250), while the Liberals counted 3,597.
The basic contrast is between one party massively financed by business, and one relying largely on individual members. Both sides argue about the numbers every year. The Liberals harp on their opponents' reliance on unions, while the NDP dwells on the huge cheques that "big business" cuts for the Liberals year in and year out.
Some notably generous backers of the Liberals last year included Brookfield Asset Management ($50,000), Elk Valley Coal Corp. ($56,000), EnCana ($56,000), Goldcorp ($78,700), Teck Cominco Ltd. ($68,180), Teck Cominco Metals ($50,000) and Telus ($52,580).
The NDP enjoyed the generosity of the B.C. Federation of Labour ($22,000) and the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union's "Staff Development Fund" ($86,000).
The release of the two sets of disclosure forms prompted some mutual finger-pointing by both parties. But apart from jeering at the opponent's profile, both parties have separate and different things to worry about in their own numbers.
For all the pride New Democrats can take in having a solid base of grassroots support among regular citizens, their support from business is pathetic. Leader Carole James has repeatedly tried to open lines of communication with the business world. They may be listening politely, but they sure aren't opening their wallets. The Liberals probably cleared more from the one dinner last week than the NDP collected from the business world over an entire year.
The NDP patted themselves on the back once again for being 92 per cent funded by "ordinary individuals." But the gaping hole in their books where a more balanced party would list business support is still a problem. And it looks like it always will be. The $25,000 listed is the lowest amount in the last several years.
Meanwhile, the Liberals' ratio of business/individual support is starting to look embarrassing. Almost 80 per cent of their money comes from corporations or commercial outfits. Only 23 per cent comes from individuals. And they have only a third of the small donors that the New Democrats list.
The bottom line is their consolation. They make almost twice what the NDP makes. As political participation shrinks every year, as measured by the percentage of eligible voters who actually vote, that money starts to make a bigger and bigger difference.
James has repeatedly advocated a ban on all corporate and union political donations. Since that would wipe out 77 per cent of the Liberals bankroll, it's easy to see why that doesn't get much traction.
