10%ers Banned. Only Conservatives Oppose.

[Wilber]

No overtly partisan messaging in MP mailings. No advertising of partisan events in MP mailings. Community/Service announcements only. All complaints by any party/citizen can be referred to the ethics comissioner for judgement and punishment. Punishment to be a $5,000 fine to the MP an $100,000 to the party. Easy. How cool is that? I just wrote a piece of legislation.

MP's should be able to mail anything they want to people outside their constituencies as long as they pay for it.

[kimmy]

Really? I got this in the mail in Winnipeg from a Conservative MP in Ontario.

http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab220/bmiley_album/cpcleaflet.jpg

If that was your MP's government-funded mailing to you, then you're right to complain.

If that was paid advertising, then no.

-k

[BubberMiley]

It wasn't my MP. It was an Ontario MP who sent it out of his taxpayer-funded direct mail budget. It was sent to me because I live in a Liberal riding the CPC has targeted.

[DrGreenthumb]

It wasn't my MP. It was an Ontario MP who sent it out of his taxpayer-funded direct mail budget. It was sent to me because I live in a Liberal riding the CPC has targeted.

I get several overtly partisan mailings from my Conservative MP every month. They normally accuse the opposition of being soft on crime, and contain a bunch of fear mongering. At the bottom is a fake ballot that encourages the reciever to check off who they think is on the right track to stop violent crime and send it back. This is from the same Manitoba MP who sent 10%ers into winnipeg ridings, I think Anita Nevilles's , accusing her of being anti-semetic.

[Smallc]

The other day, I got a letter from my Conservative MP attacking my NDP provincial government. I didn't know that the Government of Canada was now advertising for the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party.

[nicky10013]

It's meaningless because it modifies a Prerogative, and as I've stated on a number of occasions that means a constitutional amendment.

Interesting. Shows who has spent the most and least on 10%ers. Interesting pattern for those who spent the most. You'll notice when you see.

http://blog.canoe.ca/thehill/2009/11/07/frequent_flyers_costing_taxpayers

[Wilber]

Heard a good suggestion yesterday. Put it in a plain envelope, no stamp, no return address and mail it to some government agency like Revenue Canada.

[robert_viera]

Yeah, I live in St Pauls too, and I've never received a Conservative mailer.

I suppose the domination of Carolyn Bennett in the riding, was one of the factors.

I live in Barrie and the Conservative MP here has sent mailers to St. Paul's:

One Conservative flyer dropped into mailboxes on Wednesday evening in the downtown Toronto Liberal-held riding of St. Paul's urged voters to pick Stephen Harper over his political rivals. Others appeared in the Conservative-held riding of Ottawa Orleans.

The flyer that arrived in St. Paul's was sent by a Conservative MP from Barrie, Patrick Brown.

Source: Last-minute mailings by Tory MPs draw election scrutiny; Speaker cautions parties about rules for expenses, Tonda MacCharles. Toronto Star. Toronto, Ont.: Sep 13, 2008. pg. A.16

Note that these mailers actually arrived during an election campaign. I believe that Brown is actually from St. Paul's and his parent's home is there.

While we're on the subject of St. Paul's, did the police ever turn up anything in their investigation of campaign vandalism, cut brake lines, etc., that happened to people with Liberal signs on their lawns in St. Paul's in the 2008 election?

Anyways, aren't ten percenters supposed to be sent out to adjacent ridings.

There aren't any ridings even close to St Pauls that are Conservative.

Some in the media keep repeating that, but I haven't found anything that says ten-percenters are mailers that are sent outside an MPs riding. The best information I have found is here:

( c ) TEN PERCENTERS

Ten percenters are printed or photocopied material reproduced in quantities not exceeding 10% of the total number of householders in a Member’s constituency. Quantities exceeding that amount will be considered householders and will be deducted from the Member’s householder allowance.

Each ten percenter is produced in black and white and must have a 50% difference in textual content from other ten percenters produced. Each document may be printed only once per fiscal year, must originate with the Member and have the Member’s name on it.

Source: http://reports.fja.gc.ca/eng/2006/2006fc1544/2006fc1544.html

It's an excerpt from the Members' Allowances and Services Manual. Only the form and the quantity of the mailers in addressed. It says nothing about where they go.

Edited March 19, 2010 by robert_viera

[robert_viera]

Since I started collecting ten-percenters, I've received 23 from my Conservative MP and 3 from Liberal MPs in other ridings. You can see them by clicking on the link in my signature. Even if the Conservatives respect this motion, it won't make much of a difference in my mailbox because most of the junk comes from my own MP. He has also run front page ads that include the Conservative Party logo in the local paper for years which I believe are paid for with taxpayer dollars.

[ToadBrother]

Since I started collecting ten-percenters, I've received 23 from my Conservative MP and 3 from Liberal MPs in other ridings. You can see them by clicking on the link in my signature. Even if the Conservatives respect this motion, it won't make much of a difference in my mailbox because most of the junk comes from my own MP. He has also run front page ads that include the Conservative Party logo in the local paper for years which I believe are paid for with taxpayer dollars.

I get a monthly one from my Tory MP, but every six weeks or so I get one from Jack Layton. The Tory one is not addressed, but Layton's is. I still can't figure out how I ever got on an NDP mailing list.

Edited March 19, 2010 by ToadBrother

[groupeii]

It is preposterous that the public can be expected to fund the largest political parties and only those top 5 or so for their party propaganda.

While I can understand making available information, in todays age there is no requirement to do this sort of spamming of the public. It is absurd.

This is why there needs to be a state media organization which serves the public equally. For example by allowing statements for public record. Such as a public BBS... a speakers corner to post information to. The office of the MP etc.. self signup phone lists, or email lists. However there is no need for public tax dollars to do this. Forget the 10% or inside outside of the riding stuff. We have to understand that it simply isn't fair to give the largest parties funding while forcing people to pay to run for office in what is suppose to be a constitutional right. Stop public financing of private government. You want flyers make it a tax deducatable business expense for for profit political parties end the NFP political party status stuff and public financing of partisan politics. Inform the public but not at the publics expense.

Edited March 20, 2010 by groupeii

[Mr.Canada]

I still want to see all public funding for parties cut off completely. No money forvotes. NO public money at all.

[Smallc]

Cool, so that would include the 75% rebate on donations.

[Mr.Canada]

Cool, so that would include the 75% rebate on donations.

Sounds good, lets do it. I donate to my party like any good supporter should but I don't do so because I get a rebate reciept. I would give even if they didn't offer this. Obviously since it's there I'll take advantage of it but it wouldn't make my mind up about whether to donate or not. I'm can afford to give $75 per month, I suspect those on welfare are the ones having problems with this.

Edited March 20, 2010 by Mr.Canada

[Smallc]

For many people, it may very well determine how much they donate.

[Mr.Canada]

For many people, it may very well determine how much they donate.

If people are only giving because they can get a receipt at the end of the year, that's pretty weak. At any rate I would like to stop the party welfare.

Edited March 20, 2010 by Mr.Canada

[Smallc]

That's not the only reason people are giving, but it is an incentive to give more...and Conservatives generally love to avoid taxes as best they can.

[Mr.Canada]

That's not the only reason people are giving, but it is an incentive to give more...and Conservatives generally love to avoid taxes as best they can.

Lol. Give me a break smallc. Everyone likes to save money, no matter the political stripe.

[Smallc]

Lol. Give me a break smallc. Everyone likes to save money, no matter the political stripe.

Oh, but no one hates taxes like Conservatives...err....conservatives.

[Mr.Canada]

Oh, but no one hates taxes like Conservatives...err....conservatives.

Yes, it's true conservatives like smaller government and lower taxes while socialists want higher taxes and larger government.

[Smallc]

And so right now, by donating to the Conservative Party, Conservatives can kill two birds with one stone. They can avoid some of their tax bill, and further their cause. Take away one of those birds.....

[Mr.Canada]

And so right now, by donating to the Conservative Party, Conservatives can kill two birds with one stone. They can avoid some of their tax bill, and further their cause. Take away one of those birds.....

Every supporter of every party has the same opportunities to donate to their party and get tax rebates. This isn't exclusive to the Tories.

[Smallc]

Every supporter of every party has the same opportunities to donate to their party and get tax rebates. This isn't exclusive to the Tories.

That's right, but the supporters of other parties are different.

[Born Free]

Yes, it's true conservatives like smaller government and lower taxes while socialists want higher taxes and larger government.

The ONLY difference between the Conservatives & Liberals is that any one point in time one of them is the party in power.

[DrGreenthumb]

Every supporter of every party has the same opportunities to donate to their party and get tax rebates. This isn't exclusive to the Tories.

Conservative supporters tend to come from the highest income groups, who have the most cash to donate, and the most incentive to be looking for tax deductions. Most NDP supporters are from lower income to middle class working families who are basically living paycheque to paycheque and do not have any extra money for donations. So the per vote subsidy is the most fair and democratic way of financing political parties. The party you support recieves financial support from your vote regardless of your financial situation. Everyone's has an equal opportunity to support any particular party. It also gives a little extra incentive to get off your ass and go vote, which is a very positive side effect. The 75% donation tax deuction is the most unfair, and also the most costly to taxpayers, because it favours the rich who can afford to make the maximum allowable donation.