Until 1996, there were no campaign finance laws in Newfoundland and Labrador at all. In 2003, the Conservatives promised to make dramatic changes to the laws governing how parties financed election campaigns. They delivered none of it. In 2015, the Liberals promised changes to campaign finance laws and one year
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The Sir Robert Bond Papers: Media Donations to NL Political Parties #nlpoli #cdnpoli
Steele Communications and its subsidiary VOCM made a combined total of $23,600 in contributions to political parties in Newfoundland and Labrador between 1996 and 2009, according to party finance information published by the province’s chief electoral officer. All but $900 of it went to the provincial Liberal party. Communications Ten,
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Duff in the Hole #nlpoli #cdnpoli
Dwight Ball’s announcement last week about Liberal Party funding was a good example of how relatively simple mistakes can turn a good-news announcement into a major public relations problem. Another aspect to the story is a good example of how false information can make the story worse. (Read more…)
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Money and Politics in Newfoundland and Labrador #nlpoli
Some people are making a big deal over the fact that the judge heading the boundaries commission made political donations to both the Liberal and Conservative parties in the province before he was appointed to the Supreme Court Trial Division. Justice Robert Stack made donations totalling $1,718 to the provincial
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Promises, promises… 2003 contracts and tendering edition #nlpoli
In light of the controversy about Humber Valley Paving, here are some of the Conservative promises made in 2003 about contracts and public tendering, controls on political donations, special committees of the legislature, and disclosure of lobbying activities. Each of them bears on the HVP tendering controversy in one way
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Following the Money #nlpoli
After Bill Barry – the only declared candidate - former cabinet minister Shawn Skinner is the least imaginary of the potential candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party in Newfoundland and Labrador. “What I’m running for is to form the next government,” Skinner told the Telegram’s James McLeod. What
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Leading by example #nlpoli
The Liberal Party executive may have screwed up by failing to put in place any campaign finance rules during the recent leadership but the candidates are putting it right. Liberal leader Dwight Ball and three of his four fellow candidates released information on their campaign expenses on Monday. Ball committed
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: You got cash? They’ve got a party. #nlpoli
The party that brought the province its first and only election finance law in 1991 is currently in the midst of a campaign to select its own leader, but the race has absolutely no rules of any kind on campaign financing. The Liberal Party’s constitution and 2013 leadership rules are
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: The Alternative Norquist Pledge
It has been over two years since the US Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling struck down government restrictions on political spending by corporations and unions. A crafty syllogism lies at the heart of the decision’s rationale: Corporations = people. Money = speech. Therefore, campaign finance reform
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