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| You are here: Home > Features > Financing Political Parties and Election Campaigns in
Canada |
The Price of Democracy
Regulating how Canadian political parties and campaigns
are funded.
Political scientists continue to study the impact of deep-pocketed electoral
campaigns on voter behaviour. Do glitzy advertising campaigns and publicity stunts
really make a difference when it comes to election results?
Some analysts contend rich and powerful political parties are contributing
to voter apathy. They argue that an increasing number of voters will tune
out electoral politics, viewing campaigns merely as competitions between
elite groups. Especially in the United States, where two strong and well-financed
parties divide most of the country, a significant portion of the electorate
believe that politicians and political parties are out-of-touch with the
so-called common voter.
To address similar concerns, Bill
C-24 and other reforms to the Canadian system of election financing
seek to regulate campaign spending, ensure transparency, and limit
the influence of powerful corporations and unions. But it is too
soon to tell how effective these reforms will be.
The new system has its critics. Some question the use of tax dollars for political
party activities. Also, while it is advantageous to release political party
organizations from the need to scramble for private, corporate, and union
donations, public funding has not ended the search for additional private
donations. It seems unlikely that corruption can be completely eliminated.
In the final analysis, party financing scandals, such as the so-called Sponsorship
Scandal, will likely have as much impact on Canada’s political
climate as any electoral reform program.
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