Donor Sway
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As the Federal Liberal leadership campaign drags on in a style reminiscent of the Survivor show one thing has become very clear, Paul Martin is going to win.
The win was never really in dispute since Jean Chretien announced he was going to step aside for new leadership. It the matter in which our next default leader is being chosen, that is up to contention.
There is no need to remind everyone that we live in a democracy, but the contention comes in the way Paul Martin is grabbing power, and it most certainly is a power grab. For we the average Joe/Jane Canuck really have no say in who is going to be our next fearless leader. Never mind that we have little say under the current elections procedures, it is the fact that Paul Martin has unveiled his war chest.
This is no small amount of booty either. Delivered in a sealed envelope to the ethics czar is a campaign fund of over one million dollars. Rumours have Mr. Martin raising these amounts nearly every month for some time now. That is hard to say really as it took quite some prodding to get him to release those numbers. Paul Martins blind trust also contains some ten million dollars. All this while the Federal Liberals have placed a cap on spending at four million dollars.
Was Paul Martin ashamed of his massive cash in hand? Is that why it took him so long to fess up?
With a war chest like this it is easy to see that his rivals Manley and Copps do not stand much of a chance. And neither does the average Canadian citizen. For when I leave for work I cannot help but wonder if that lady who is passed out on the park bench in front of the building also contributed $100,000 like Jimmy Pattison? Maybe not.
How about the gentleman who has pitched his tent in the vacant lot across the street? Did he give $100,000 like Amadeus Capital Corp? Not likely but what does that mean in the bigger sense? These are still Canadian citizens we are speaking about and they should just like the before mentioned have just as much say in who our Prime Minister is and what kind of feedback they will get for their say.
Alas it is crystal clear that those that have the money to give get all the say. Is this still not a democracy? Do those that not have cash in hand for fat tax write offs not deserve equal say? Most certainly Paul Martin thinks not. Add Mr. Manley to that heap as well.
In an interview Mr. Manley gives the Canadian public a look of sheer surprise when he is told that Jimmy Pattison coughed up $100,000 to defeat him. Instead of asking how that is good for democracy he stated “Well maybe I should add him to my list of people to hit up for donations”. He was not the only one with a look of shock and amazement on his face at that moment!
Earlier in the week Mr. Manley offered up this gem, “If we operated on the basis that governments were going to penalize or punish those who make contributions then our whole system is based on a false assumption. I think that undermines confidence and I think it feeds cynicism and I think it's wrong,” he said.
Sorry to break it to you Mr. Manley but while you are close you seem to really miss the bigger point. Just how many Canadians are in a position to make such contributions to not only your cause but also to that of your rivals?
So my fellow Canadians is this the face and future course of our democracy? Is our democracy now one in that those with heaps of money get to influence an event that matters to all Canadians while those without get to sit in their tents wondering if they will eat today? While this is just the leadership campaign the same events will take place around the next election. Millions of Canadians who while still holding a vote will cast it knowing full well it means little when power players get the real influence and say. Last time anyone looked corporations are not voters so why do they trump those that are?
Roy Whyte is the Director of WhiteBark Innovations
and edits Canadian Health News
@ May 13, 2003