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Election Finance in Alberta – In The News (11)

 

Alberta election finances laws among the most lax, says Democracy Watch

 

 

This article is basically an attack on the election finance laws in Alberta, stating that they have the highest limits in the country, and also very few regulations on who can donate. For example, corporations and unions are allowed to donate, and the donation limit is more that 3x the federal amount.

Does this hurt democracy? A logical view of elections would state that people can only beĀ involvedĀ and informed on issues if candidates have enough money to campaign and hold rallies. Without this, it would be impossible for them to have their platforms publicized and we would be voting in the dark. Political parties do not get their campaign funds from the public purse, but from personal wealth or donations. Therefore, the Alberta voters, having spent the most on finance, have the most informed election, right?

Well, to a certain degree, yes. But this is not democracy enhancing. The fact that corporate entities and unions can offer huge nearly unlimited contributions means that one party could have significantly more money to campaign with than an other party. While this can harm the balance of power in elections, I think that the biggest danger is what happens after. If you received a huge contribution from a corporation, you will feel the pressure to make decisions benefiting that donor one you are in office. This can essentially amount to unofficially buying a politician. Therefore many small donations are far better than a few large ones.

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