Why Bribery Still Works in Canadian Politics
Canada is a democratic nation. But corporations continue to pay for political influence
' The best model I’ve seen for clean campaign fuel is a bold experiment taking place in Seattle: coupons called Democracy Dollars. Four coupons, each worth $25 of public money, are mailed to every voter to give to the candidate(s) of their choice. This system puts complete control of the public subsidy into the hands of all voters, on a level playing field. It’s the only system that allows all voters, regardless of disposable income, to participate equally in an election campaign. It provides candidates with a unique incentive to knock on doors and talk to voters. Rather than perpetuating the inertia of the status quo, these dollars can work to amplify new and emerging voices. In 2017, Seattle’s first time trying this new system, the number of campaign donors tripled and reached an all-time high. An estimated 84 percent of the donors were new to the political process, and donors were much more reflective of the general population (with more donations coming from youth, women, people of colour, and low-income residents). The previous election was dominated by big money, and less than 50 percent of total donations came from small contributions. But in 2017, that number had jumped to 87 percent.
Here’s the bottom line: we’ll never have a trustworthy, reflective, or responsive democracy if we aren’t prepared to take a deeper look at how campaigns are fuelled. Valves and meters are crucial mechanisms that can help us track and reduce the influence of private wealth on our elections. Without bold reforms, we’ll continue shutting some valves while others burst open, perpetuating the political Groundhog Day that has seen private interests dominate our political culture for 150 years.'
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