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April 30, 2008 DEMOCRACY WOULD BE ENHANCED WITH PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ELECTIONS ACT: PREMIER– – –Fixed Election Dates, Partial Public Financing, Lobbyist Registry Key Features of Bill Democracy in Manitoba would be more transparent, accessible and fair with proposed changes to the Elections Act that would require fixed election dates, the registration and disclosure of lobbyists and partial public financing of political parties, Premier Gary Doer announced today.
“Over the years, we have worked to implement many important recommendations from the chief electoral officer which have helped make the electoral process in Manitoba more open, fair and transparent,” said Doer. “Today, we are moving forward on a number of new initiatives that further enhance democracy by improving public access and fairness, and increasing transparency.”
Under the proposed changes, Manitoba would become the seventh jurisdiction in Canada to have fixed election dates requiring the second Tuesday in June, every four years, to be the date Manitobans elect a provincial government. Postponement of an election to the third Tuesday in September would be permitted in the case of flooding. The next date for a provincial election under this proposed legislation would be June 14, 2011.
“The chief electoral officer has recommended fixed election dates over the last several years,” said Doer. “It is his view that fixed election dates would help improve the voters list because the predictability of dates would provide more time and better planning around the enumeration process. A stronger voters list provides for stronger democracy.”
To improve fairness, changes are proposed that would allow partial public financing of political parties.
“One of our first reforms of the Elections Act was to ban union and corporate donations to make democracy more transparent and accessible to the public,” said Doer. “Manitoba is the only jurisdiction in Canada to have banned union and corporate donations without introducing some degree of partial annual public financing.”
Manitoba would become the sixth jurisdiction in Canada to allow public financing. All registered political parties would be eligible to receive $1.25 per vote up to a maximum of $250,000 to help cover costs associated with ongoing annual obligations under the Election Finances Act. Political parties eligible to receive public financing would be required to formally apply for the allowance from the chief electoral officer before receiving the allowance.
The per-vote allowance proposed in Manitoba is the lowest of the jurisdictions that already have public financing and would only partially cover administrative expenses of political parties. By comparison, federal parties receive $1.91 per vote. In New Brunswick the rate is $1.76 and in Nova Scotia it is $1.50. Based on historical spending levels, today’s announcement would provide approximately one-third of the overall funding requirements of political parties.
To improve transparency, proposed changes would also require the registration of lobbyists and the disclosure of lobbying activities including the techniques that lobby groups intend to use and the offices they intend to lobby.
“Together, these proposed changes further ensure our elections are independent and fair, and that Manitobans have access to a modern and transparent democratic process,” said Doer.
Doer noted the law is also being changed to allow the commissioner of elections to comment on an investigation when it is completed when it is in the public interest. Current laws prohibit that from happening.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION ATTACHED |
