Liberal bill aims to end pre-election ad binges

[jdobbin]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianp...DjrgTj2uccqfKaQ

They introduced a bill in the Senate on Tuesday, aimed primarily at the cash-rich Tories who recently unleashed their latest barrage of attack ads amid renewed election speculation on Parliament Hill. Currently, parties can spend as much as they like on advertising in the months leading to an election call.

Such pre-writ advertising is not considered part of a party's election expenses, which are strictly limited once an election campaign is underway.

The Liberal bill, introduced by Senator Dennis Dawson, would force parties to count the cost of all their advertising in the three months prior to an election call as an election expense.

It certainly follows through with Harper's ideas of not having money influence elections.

Many other jurisdiction restrict advertising prior to elections already.

[M.Dancer]

That's a brilliant tactic coming from a party that's so broke, the only advertising they can afford is craigslist.

[Smallc]

The Liberal party isn't broke anymore. They have no deb, and they are bringing money in at twice the rate of last year....granted, that's still only half as fast as the Conservative, but the trend lines have Liberal fund raising up, and Conservative fund raising down.

[jdobbin]

The Liberal party isn't broke anymore. They have no deb, and they are bringing money in at twice the rate of last year....granted, that's still only half as fast as the Conservative, but the trend lines have Liberal fund raising up, and Conservative fund raising down.

Another half a million coming in from Quebec in the next days as well.

The Liberals are ready to go to an election now in terms of cash. Ignatieff has pushed the party to have a party platform by June and the latest fundraising push is to start June 1.

[M.Dancer]

Another half a million coming in from Quebec in the next days as well.

They should use it to pay back the money they swindled....wait....how did they get the $$ to begin with? Disgraced former Canadiens?

[Hydraboss]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianp...DjrgTj2uccqfKaQ

It certainly follows through with Harper's ideas of not having money influence elections.

Many other jurisdiction restrict advertising prior to elections already.

Quite simply, that's just good legislation.

(and, no, I'm not joking)

Much of the funding that parties receive is from the Canadian taxpayer, so I have no interest in seeing them blow a bunch of cash on pre-election ads. This is starting to look like the car company policies of releasing the new models a friggin year before (2009's in March/April '08...used to be the 09's would have been released in late September '08).

What's next? Are they going to start campaigning the day after the polls close? I would even be in favor of ALL advertising being counted against their spending limits for anything produced/released every day between elections. Get elected in Sept 2009? Fine. Spend a single dollar and it counts against your election budget in 2014.

(Of course, I also believe that the LPC should be required to pay back the stolen taxpayer money and that amount should be held against their election budget.)

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Okay I will go along with that if you can get the Conservatives to bring back AVRO and rebuild the Arrow...................

[Moonbox]

The Liberals are ready to go to an election now in terms of cash. Ignatieff has pushed the party to have a party platform by June and the latest fundraising push is to start June 1.

Yeah I'm still waiting on the platform. I've no idea what the Liberals are about. I'm 100% against their EI changes (and yes I do understand them) but other than that I have no idea what they want to do.

[jdobbin]

Much of the funding that parties receive is from the Canadian taxpayer, so I have no interest in seeing them blow a bunch of cash on pre-election ads.

I have argued that the parties should be restricted in what they spend on advertising to elections only.

I'd be in favour of a cap on overall spending per year as well. That would be the whole national party office.

If you want to end money politics, put a cap on what parties can spend in a year.

What's next? Are they going to start campaigning the day after the polls close? I would even be in favor of ALL advertising being counted against their spending limits for anything produced/released every day between elections. Get elected in Sept 2009? Fine. Spend a single dollar and it counts against your election budget in 2014.

Grandfathered in?

(Of course, I also believe that the LPC should be required to pay back the stolen taxpayer money and that amount should be held against their election budget.)

And of course if it is found that the Tories did violate election spending with their "in and out", they would be required to sit out an election.

[jdobbin]

Yeah I'm still waiting on the platform. I've no idea what the Liberals are about. I'm 100% against their EI changes (and yes I do understand them) but other than that I have no idea what they want to do.

It remains to be seen whether the entire platform will be released publicly. No other party would have their election platform either so it makes no sense having some of your best ideas grabbed or your worst ideas dominating headlines months before going to the polls.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

It remains to be seen whether the entire platform will be released publicly. No other party would have their election platform either so it makes no sense having some of your best ideas grabbed or your worst ideas dominating headlines months before going to the polls.

It is possible to have a summer election though, if that is the case then I could expect a public platform release.

[jdobbin]

It is possible to have a summer election though, if that is the case then I could expect a public platform release.

If there is an election, I expect there will be a release.

Seem to recall the Tories released their platform with only a couple of days left in the election last time around.

It is curious to ask for the Liberals to release theirs months or even years before the election.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

If there is an election, I expect there will be a release.

Seem to recall the Tories released their platform with only a couple of days left in the election last time around.

It is curious to ask for the Liberals to release theirs months or even years before the election.

Another little political trick, getting the other guy to show his cards. I don't think that Iggy is that goofy. Harper may be in for a little surprise with this guy at the helm for the Liberals. Face it, the Liberals and the Conservatives own the game, the others are merely bit players on a good day.

[madmax]

The Liberals are using and abusing government monies with propoganda flyers much like the Conservatives did in the last year heading into their orchestrated election.

Two faced Hypocrisy.

I am against both pre election adds and the abuse of government monies for Political Party Propoganda.

The Latter especially as its monies that should be used for real services not Party Propoganda.

[jdobbin]

The Liberals are using and abusing government monies with propoganda flyers much like the Conservatives did in the last year heading into their orchestrated election.

I get them from the NDP too.

Two faced Hypocrisy.

Three faced hypocrisy.

I am against both pre election adds and the abuse of government monies for Political Party Propoganda.

The Latter especially as its monies that should be used for real services not Party Propoganda.

All ads should be eliminated in between elections and MPs should be restricted from sending mailings outside their ridings. The quantity of the mailings should be restricted severely and content should be restricted to constituency matters.

[ToadBrother]

They should use it to pay back the money they swindled....wait....how did they get the $$ to begin with? Disgraced former Canadiens?

People in glass houses should not throw stones.

And just how long do you Tories think you can keep throwing that one up in the air? Most of the Liberals involved in that are long gone. It's kind of like me saying "Don't vote Conservative, remember Brian Mulroney!"

[madmax]

I get them from the NDP too.

It's crap that MUST stop..... Write them NASTY LETTERS!!!! If the NDP sent them to my house I would. I have been BOMBARDED with close to a hundred CPC Government Paid Propoganda pieces, and now I am Receiving Liberals ones even though I live in a Conservative Riding.

I can't believe the Liberals made this an election issue only to join in the corruption. Ok, I can believe it, and same goes for the NDP too who have joined the abuse club. I'll take your word for it, because I know you live in a region that has an NDP base of sorts.

This is a pet peeve of mine...

Three faced hypocrisy.

I'll take your word on it.

All ads should be eliminated in between elections and MPs should be restricted from sending mailings outside their ridings. The quantity of the mailings should be restricted severely and content should be restricted to constituency matters.

Cross your fingers...

[Topaz]

Again, THIS Liberal party hasn't done anything wrong and yes the formers members did and they are gone. The new Conservative party is being judge on their own merits, and it doesn't seem too much difference between the PC's and the Conservatives. They had done things since they have been in power that are very questionable legally and morally. The way they have handled themselves as members in Parliament is sickening! By the time they leave , I bet the deficit will be over 100Bil and say blame it on the global recession! By 2011, they would have spent 1+ Bil on the military for equipment and how many will we get back from Afg. The ads the Tories are putting out is only showing Canadians how low they can go but they aren't there yet, nothing to be proud of for sure!

[jdobbin]

It's crap that MUST stop..... Write them NASTY LETTERS!!!! If the NDP sent them to my house I would. I have been BOMBARDED with close to a hundred CPC Government Paid Propoganda pieces, and now I am Receiving Liberals ones even though I live in a Conservative Riding.

In some ridings, you can get all three sending messages. I find it annoying.

[Moonbox]

I just don't read them and throw them out. They're pathetic jokes considering how much truth they hold.