Ensuring Fair Elections - editorial - Summerland Review December 3, 2009
The act governing municipal elections in British Columbia is badly in need of an overhaul.
In recent weeks, members of Summerland’s present council have come under criticism for a series of advertisements which ran during last year’s campaign.
Each of the seven people endorsed in the series of ads is now serving on council.
But those ads were placed by a third party and were not authorized by the candidates.
If the ads had not been placed anonymously, there would not be an issue now, but the anonymity has led to the questions.
Those responsible for the ads did not intend to do anything to harm or discredit the candidates named.
However, the recent controversy raises the need for changes to the election act.
Under the present system, there is nothing stopping an individual or an organization from anonymously placing an ad on behalf of a candidate.
Even if such ads are placed with the best and most noble of intentions, there are potential problems, as we are witnessing now.
Two small changes to elections legislation could prevent a similar situation from occurring in the future.
First, if each election ad, whether a candidate’s personal advertisement or a third-party ad, were to include the name of the individual or organization paying for it, this particular problem could not arise again.
Second, and more importantly, the elections act needs to have some teeth.
Nobody is responsible for enforcing the elections act. Unless members of the public take their complaints through the legal system, there is no way to deal with violations.
This has to change.
The present elections act falls short if there are no provisions for enforcement.
It is important to have transparency in order to ensure elections are fair.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/summerlandreview/opinion/78377007.html
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