Summerlanders comment on Task Force findings
By Susan McIver/Special to The Penticton Herald
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Current and former Summerland municipal politicians and members of the public generally think the task force on local elections did a good job.
The report released Monday by the joint government and Union of B.C. Municipalities task force contained 31 recommendations.
“I think all of the recommendations of the election task force are excellent. What is important is that the task force listened to all of the comments presented to them,” said Mayor Janice Perrino.
The task force received over 10,000 submissions.
“They did a great job. I have the utmost respect for members of the task force,” said former councillor Peter Waterman.
B.C. Community and Rural Development Minister Bill Bennett said the task force was guided by the principle of transparency.
“The public has a right to know where the money comes from, who is spending it, who is buying ads, who is organizing or supporting candidates in local government elections,” Bennett said.
Bennett and UBCM president Harry Nyce co-chaired the task force.
Councillor Gordon Clark agrees with the importance of transparency.
“I am a proponent of full disclosure. More light and more air, as a general matter, are core underpinnings of a free society,” said Clark, who is generally content with the report.
In order to enhance transparency the task force recommends banning all anonymous contributions.
Last fall questions about the financing of the 2008 Summerland municipal election led a group of residents, including Frank Martens, to request an investigation by the RCMP.
Citing the six month statute of limitation on such matters the RCMP declined to conduct an investigation.
Martens was pleased by the recommendation that extends the current six month period for
investigation of an alleged offence to one year.
The deadline for submission of campaign finance disclosure statements is recommended to be shortened to 90 days from the current 120 days after the election.
The disclosure statements would then be published online through Elections B.C.
“I think the task force recommendations are good ones and should address most of the concerns that were raised in the last municipal elections in Summerland,” said John Kingsmill.
The task force recommends that third party advertisers must register and must disclose what they spend on ads and who contributed to them, and prohibit advertising by unregistered third parties.
As well there would be a requirement for all election advertising to disclose who sponsored the advertising and make it an offence to published ads without required sponsorship information.
To ensure accountability a separate act dealing with campaign finance rules in local elections is recommended.
A key role for Elections B.C. in enforcing campaign finance rules in local elections is also recommended as is clarification of roles, power and responsibilities of the local chief election officer with regard to elections enforcement, including explicit powers during elections.
Former mayor David Gregory said that election controversy in Summerland is nothing new.
“During Summerland‘s 2002 municipal election and referendum, a flyer was distributed to every household in Summerland supporting the proposed Protective Services Building.
This flyer was written on municipal council letterhead suggesting that mayor and council supported the referendum. Municipal council never saw the flyer. Municipal council did not support the contents of the flyer,” Gregory said.
In addition to being deceived, Gregory said taxpayers paid approximately $600 in postage.
The complete report can be viewed at www.localelectionstaskforce.gov.bc.ca.
http://www.pentictonherald.ca/stories.php?i=269355
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