http://www.doniveson.ca/2010/02/18/campaign-finance-reform-boring-but-consequential/ Edmonton City Councillor, Ward 10 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:19:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.doniveson.ca/2010/02/18/campaign-finance-reform-boring-but-consequential/comment-page-1/#comment-9017 Disclosure of Contributions: 2010 Campaign — Don Iveson Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:49:24 +0000 http://www.doniveson.ca/?p=657#comment-9017 [...] proud of my record on pursuing municipal campaign finance reform (see here, here and here). In Calgary, a good number of campaigns have agreed to disclose their funding in [...] [...] proud of my record on pursuing municipal campaign finance reform (see here, here and here). In Calgary, a good number of campaigns have agreed to disclose their funding in [...]

]]> http://www.doniveson.ca/2010/02/18/campaign-finance-reform-boring-but-consequential/comment-page-1/#comment-3835 Rob McDonald, Strathcona Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:43:09 +0000 http://www.doniveson.ca/?p=657#comment-3835 Since taking a particular interest in the last municipal election, I've realized that some substantial changes to election campaign funding are probably needed in Edmonton, to keep our representatives among us, as peers. Our Disclosure Bylaw has been very effective for several election cycles now and I think the Tall Guy is right to keep building on that. After amalgamating Toronto and its many boroughs and suburbs, the Ontario Government imposed stiff new rules on City Council campaign funding. It had to because of a tradition of slimy influence by Big Business and Big Unions in the smaller centres. Morally, Edmonton is far above that and Calgary isn't nearly as bad as the GTA was, prior to being stuffed into one big tent. Despite its lack of transparent disclosure procedures, Calgary's business funding of candidates isn't highly concentrated. Under threat of the heavy-handed measures since brought down by Hector Goudreau ,Alberta's Municipal Affairs Minister, Mayor Bronconnier and friends did spin out a pretty good imitation of Edmonton's Disclosure Bylaw. I wonder how much the newly-minted Minister Goudreau actually had to do with this big stick. An off-mic chat with his predecessor, Ray Danyluk, would be informative. As MLA for Dunvegan-Central Peace, Goudreau ought to be aware that the new audit procedures will be especially hard on council candidates in smaller cities. One major contribution could put a would-be councillor in the position of effectively spending all of that money on an audit because the value of volunteers' efforts in providing the necessary information to the auditor also must be tallied. For even a shoestring campaign, just totaling-up volunteer value is both onerous and rather too open to "interpretation", to be of much good as a defender of transparency. Edmontonians, please push back at Minister Goudreau's office and get him to do this thing right. It's a good direction to take province-wide but he missed the all-important stage of collaboration among those most effected. And truly, the Minister's timing is "ridiculous". Since taking a particular interest in the last municipal election, I’ve realized that some substantial changes to election campaign funding are probably needed in Edmonton, to keep our representatives among us, as peers. Our Disclosure Bylaw has been very effective for several election cycles now and I think the Tall Guy is right to keep building on that. After amalgamating Toronto and its many boroughs and suburbs, the Ontario Government imposed stiff new rules on City Council campaign funding. It had to because of a tradition of slimy influence by Big Business and Big Unions in the smaller centres. Morally, Edmonton is far above that and Calgary isn’t nearly as bad as the GTA was, prior to being stuffed into one big tent. Despite its lack of transparent disclosure procedures, Calgary’s business funding of candidates isn’t highly concentrated. Under threat of the heavy-handed measures since brought down by Hector Goudreau ,Alberta’s Municipal Affairs Minister, Mayor Bronconnier and friends did spin out a pretty good imitation of Edmonton’s Disclosure Bylaw. I wonder how much the newly-minted Minister Goudreau actually had to do with this big stick. An off-mic chat with his predecessor, Ray Danyluk, would be informative. As MLA for Dunvegan-Central Peace, Goudreau ought to be aware that the new audit procedures will be especially hard on council candidates in smaller cities. One major contribution could put a would-be councillor in the position of effectively spending all of that money on an audit because the value of volunteers’ efforts in providing the necessary information to the auditor also must be tallied. For even a shoestring campaign, just totaling-up volunteer value is both onerous and rather too open to “interpretation”, to be of much good as a defender of transparency. Edmontonians, please push back at Minister Goudreau’s office and get him to do this thing right. It’s a good direction to take province-wide but he missed the all-important stage of collaboration among those most effected. And truly, the Minister’s timing is “ridiculous”.

]]> http://www.doniveson.ca/2010/02/18/campaign-finance-reform-boring-but-consequential/comment-page-1/#comment-3815 Edmonton Notes for 2/20/2010 at MasterMaq's Blog Sat, 20 Feb 2010 21:47:56 +0000 http://www.doniveson.ca/?p=657#comment-3815 [...] City Councillors are not happy about the Local Authorities Amendment Act, which imposes stricter rules on campaign funding and disclosures. Councillor Iveson blogged his thoughts on the issue here. [...] [...] City Councillors are not happy about the Local Authorities Amendment Act, which imposes stricter rules on campaign funding and disclosures. Councillor Iveson blogged his thoughts on the issue here. [...]

]]>