Thursday, November 27, 2008

Another nail in the coffin

Everyone should probably know by now that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been trying to destroy the Liberal party or at least remove the "natural governing party" status it has enjoyed in being the most successful political party in world democratic history.

Whether taking on the Liberal-dominated senate, having snap elections, or limiting donations to parties, the latest move will further "unnaturalize" the Liberals while also sticking a fork in the Bloc Quebecois.

Obviously using the economic downturn as a catalyst, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced that the $1.75/vote taxpayer-funded amounts going to political party coffers will be completely revoked.

While all parties stand to lose millions, with the Conservatives losing the most, it's the Liberals and Bloc Quebecois who will be hurt most because they don't have nearly as many individual donors (who can donate up to $1100) as the Conservatives or NDP.

Here's what parties received from the public treasury last year and as a percentage of their total revenues.

  • Conservatives: $10 million (37%)
  • Liberals: $7.7 million (63%)
  • NDP: $4.9 million (57%)
  • Bloc Quebecois: $2.6 million (86%)
  • Green Party: $1.8 million (65%)
I've always thought that it's outrageous for Canadian taxpayers to be funding a party that wants to tear up the country.

While it's only about $30 million in savings, if Canadians are going to have a hard time and will reign in their own spending, why they should fund political parties?

Now let's see if there are any Liberals who agree with this.

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