BC NDP leader promises ban on ‘big money’ from unions

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Provincial NDP leader Adrian Dix says he’s planning to ban union and corporate donations to political parties if he’s elected in a month.

Dix says the influence of what he calls big money is hurting democracy, and is causing the public to lose faith in politicians.

He wants donations to come from individuals only and says the proposed change would come into effect next January if he’s successful in the May 14 election.

“I’m announcing for the 2017 election, well in advance of the 2017 election, we will be banning corporate and union donations to politics in British Columbia. It says that individuals that vote in British Columbia should be the people who primarily support the democratic process in our province,” he said.

“It addresses a lot of the questions you hear when controversies arrive in politics around donations.”

Dix also says his party would create a legislative committee to audit and make recommendations on the financing of politics in BC.

He hopes it will prompt more people to head to the polls and will lead to greater transparency in government. “I think it will encourage more people back into the political process.”

Dix made the announcement to gathered media at a community centre in Vancouver Sunday afternoon.

A political scientist says NDP announcement is meant to steal Clark’s thunder

York University political scientist Dennis Pilon thinks the timing of Dix’s announcement was very strategic.

“He can say that it is not related to Christy Clark’s TV appearance on Sunday but, come on, clearly we’ve got a bit of a war going on between the two parties and so every move is another move in the game.”

He says Clark’s TV special is designed “to get beyond the sound bites and say ‘This is what I think. Look at me, I’m okay, this is what I’m going to do, you’re going to like me.’ Along comes Dix and kind of spoils it.”