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B.C. NDP nets $1.5 million in taxpayer subsidies to political parties

Conservatives, Rural B.C. party join B.C. Liberals, Greens in per-vote payments
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NDP leader John Horgan greets Coquitlam-Burke Mountain candidate Fin Donnelly in Coquitlam, B.C., Tuesday in the final days of his snap election campaign, October 20, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS

The B.C. NDP has collected an “annual allowance” of $1.57 million, based on the $1.75-per-vote subsidy adopted in 2017 to replace union and corporate donations to political parties.

The B.C. Liberal Party collected $1.11 million, and the B.C. Green Party $497,570.50 based on the results of the October 2020 snap election that saw the NDP form a majority government. They were joined by two smaller parties who reached the threshold of payments. The Conservative Party collected $62,828.50 and the Rural B.C. Party got $1,319.

To qualify for the taxpayer subsidy, a party must get at least two per cent of votes cast province-wide, or at least five per cent in an electoral district where they run a candidate.

RELATED: B.C. NDP got more donations, votes in snap election

Election rules adopted in 2017 by Horgan’s minority government did away with corporate and union donations, and capped individual donations at $1,200 a year. The NDP reforms replaced the “big money” from business and unions with a public subsidy that was not mentioned before the 2017 B.C. election.

Then B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver said in 2017 that while his party benefits from the transitional subsidy, it was not a demand of the Greens to support the NDP minority government. Weaver and the two Green MLAs voted in favour of the subsidy.


@tomfletcherbc
tfletcher@blackpress.ca

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