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DEVILI$H FUNDING: “I’m the detail,” said the devil, who always liked to Wynne.
That “detail” fairly sums up the real story behind all the fuss about political party financing in Ontario.
“The devil is in the details,” and Ontario’s Bill 201 (Election Finances Statute Law Amendment Act, 2016), introduced by Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne‘s Liberal government to combat “political corruption” through financial “transparency“, certainly confirms it.
Bill 201, ostensibly about “election” finance reform, is also about something else entirely. It contains a host of devilish details that no one in the mainstream media has brought to anyone’s attention.
Far from offering any meaningful transparency to combat the corruption in her own government, the Liberal bill broadens the Ontario government’s power and jurisdiction to an alarming degree.
The state will be able to control and regulate not just the electoral process and rules, but all political debate and expression – by anyone – even outside of election periods and when there are no electoral contests.
How is this to be accomplished? Through Bill 201, Kathleen Wynne’s devilish Liberal Party funding scheme, ironically hidden within the very bill advocating “transparency.”
Under Bill 201, any “political” opinion expressed by any individual, group, or association in Ontario will be regulated and controlled, if that opinion is expressed through any kind of paid medium (i.e., advertising).
Who decides what’s “political”? With the government involved in virtually every aspect of daily personal life, very few things are not. Even personal issues (like health care, now state-monopolized and rationed) and economic issues (like electricity prices – now state regulated) have been made political.
To facilitate Bill 201’s regulation of “political” spending, simple justice would demand that the government provide an official list indicating which issues are or are not political, so that potential spending offenders could be warned in advance.
Of course, the proper paperwork and forms would have to be provided, with declarations made and receipts provided to ensure that a particular newspaper ad – deemed to be political – did not exceed the meager spending limit allowed. Even “political” advertisers who spend far less than the maximum would have to prove so, and fill out forms and provide receipts. (That’s exactly how Elections Ontario currently administers all those subject to its jurisdiction.)
What will be the ultimate penalty for having spent “too much” on one’s political expression? What’s the real nature of the “crime” – that “too many” people may have heard or seen the message as a consequence of the cost of the advertising?
While that may be the source of fear driving Bill 201, the real nature of the crime, of course, is criticizing the political parties in power.
Under Bill 201, no longer will only registered political parties and candidates be subject to Elections Ontario’s regulatory rules. No longer will the rules be limited to conducting elections. “Election” rules will become “political” rules, and Elections Ontario will be given expanded jurisdiction over the political opinions, activities and interests of all politically engaged residents and groups in Ontario, not just political parties.
As if that wasn’t alarming enough, Bill 201 severely restricts the voluntary financial support that private citizens may offer to political parties, parties that are private associations.
By legally restricting their financial support, Wynne’s Liberals are using Bill 201 to punish parties that are funded without any tax dollars whatsoever (like the Freedom Party of Ontario).
Wynne’s Liberals are using Bill 201 to unashamedly award their own party (also a private association) with forced taxpayer-paid subsidies, offensively calling their stolen membership dues (without the membership) “allowances.” Naturally, as the other two recipients of the taxpayer loot, the Progressive Conservative and New Democratic parties, are in full agreement.
Yet not one member of the mainstream media appears to comprehend what is really happening. Many even support these measures, believing them to be “democratic.” They have not seen the devilish details behind electoral funding, details that are offensively anti-democratic.
Conveniently for Wynne’s Liberals, election finance reform is a pretty dull and technical subject, and few pay attention. That makes Bill 201 a perfect vehicle for the devil to remain hidden from view. It’s only when you can see the devil hiding in the details, that you realize it’s a hotter issue than it looks.
As we all know, any “devil” in the details is really only a devil when kept in the shadows, hidden behind those details from direct view.
By shining a light on the devilish details of Bill 201, everyone can see the devil for who she really is.
And that’s Just Right by us.
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