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2015 Legislative Session: 4th Session, 40th Parliament

FIRST READING

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

MR. MIKE FARNWORTH

BILL M 212 – 2015

FAIRNESS IN FINANCING LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS ACT, 2015

This Act amends the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act to eliminate union and corporate donations in municipal election campaigns, restricting campaign contributions solely to individuals to ensure greater fairness in local government elections.

HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the

Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

Section 26 of the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act is amended by deleting

the text shown as struck out and adding the text shown as underlined:

Restrictions on making campaign contributions

(1) An individual or organization must not do any of the following:

(

a) make a campaign contribution to a candidate or elector organization other than

by making it to the financial agent or an individual authorized in writing by the

financial agent to receive such contributions;

(

b) make an anonymous campaign contribution that has a value of more than $50;

(

c) make a number of anonymous campaign contributions to the same candidate in relation

to one or more election campaigns of the candidate for elections that are being held

at the same time if, in total, the campaign contributions would be equal in value

to more than $50;

(

d) make a number of anonymous campaign contributions to the same elector organization

in relation to one or more election campaigns of the elector organization for elections

that are being held at the same time if, in total, the campaign contributions would

be equal in value to more than $50;

(

e) make a campaign contribution, other than an anonymous campaign contribution that

is permitted under this Act, without disclosing to the individual receiving the campaign

contribution the information required to be recorded under

section 29 [campaign contribution information that must be recorded] ;

(

f) make a campaign contribution with money, non-monetary property or services of

another individual or organization;

(

g) make a campaign contribution indirectly by giving money, non-monetary property

or services to an individual or organization

(

i) for the individual or organization to make as a campaign contribution, or

(ii) as consideration for that individual or organization making a campaign contribution.

(2) Except as permitted by regulation, an elector organization must not make a campaign

contribution of money to its own campaign or to the campaign of a candidate who is

or is intended to be endorsed by the elector organization.

(3) Only individuals may make campaign contributions.

(3) (4) An individual or organization that contravenes this

section commits an offence.

Schedule is amended by striking out in the definition of "contributor class"  paragraphs (

b) to (g).

Explanatory Note

This Act amends the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act to eliminate union and corporate donations in municipal election campaigns, restricting campaign contributions solely to individuals to ensure greater fairness in local government elections.

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