Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community - View Single Post - Conservatives To Slash Federal Funding of Political Parties [Update-CPC backs down]

ikaris · 11-27-2008, 03:39 PM

If a policy like this were to be implemented, then I would expect that there would be strict limiting put on private funding as well?

Just some perspective here; the $28 million that the conservatives are proposing to be cut is makes up about 0.01% of the total $245 billion annual budget. If the conservatives were actually serious about cutting the budget for non-political reasons, why don't we look at some of these other costs as well?

From the 2008 budget as an example:

- Providing $66 million over two years to set up the regulatory framework for industrial air emissions. Seriously? It costs $33 million per year to do this?

- Providing $25 million to help make the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays a symbol of community and national pride. Torch relays cost $25 million?

- Setting aside $400 million for a Police Officers Recruitment Fund to encourage provinces and territories to recruit 2,500 new front-line police officers. I think that this is too much.

- Delivering on our promise to double international assistance to $5 billion by 2010–11. Maybe some room here to trim?

- Providing an additional $100 million for the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan, bringing Canada’s total projected Afghan aid program to $280 million in 2008–09. This is working great.

- Committing $75 million over two years to ensure the Canada Border Services Agency has the resources it needs to effectively manage the border. We do have such a porous border with those damn illegal US immigrants.

This is nothing but a pathetic political stunt that is designed to clearly benefit the conservatives only.

Currently the limit is $1000 a year per person with donations from corporations and unions being banned. I would hypothesize that the reason that the conservatives have such great private funding is because that people on the higher end of the income scale tend to donate there.

Don't get me wrong, I'm in that same scale and I don't donate to the conservatives, but I still stand by my hypothesis. My belief is that the political process should not be severely influenced by money; it should be based on votes only and funding should be based on how many votes you got in the last election. I think private funding should be completely banned.

Democracy is not supposed to be influenced by money.

11-27-2008, 03:39 PM	#143
ikaris First Line Centre Join Date: Apr 2006 Exp:	If a policy like this were to be implemented, then I would expect that there would be strict limiting put on private funding as well? Just some perspective here; the $28 million that the conservatives are proposing to be cut is makes up about 0.01% of the total $245 billion annual budget. If the conservatives were actually serious about cutting the budget for non-political reasons, why don't we look at some of these other costs as well? From the 2008 budget as an example: - Providing $66 million over two years to set up the regulatory framework for industrial air emissions. Seriously? It costs $33 million per year to do this? - Providing $25 million to help make the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays a symbol of community and national pride. Torch relays cost $25 million? - Setting aside $400 million for a Police Officers Recruitment Fund to encourage provinces and territories to recruit 2,500 new front-line police officers. I think that this is too much. - Delivering on our promise to double international assistance to $5 billion by 2010–11. Maybe some room here to trim? - Providing an additional $100 million for the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan, bringing Canada’s total projected Afghan aid program to $280 million in 2008–09. This is working great. - Committing $75 million over two years to ensure the Canada Border Services Agency has the resources it needs to effectively manage the border. We do have such a porous border with those damn illegal US immigrants. This is nothing but a pathetic political stunt that is designed to clearly benefit the conservatives only. Currently the limit is $1000 a year per person with donations from corporations and unions being banned. I would hypothesize that the reason that the conservatives have such great private funding is because that people on the higher end of the income scale tend to donate there. Don't get me wrong, I'm in that same scale and I don't donate to the conservatives, but I still stand by my hypothesis. My belief is that the political process should not be severely influenced by money; it should be based on votes only and funding should be based on how many votes you got in the last election. I think private funding should be completely banned. Democracy is not supposed to be influenced by money.