The Ontario government is hoping to get Bill 212 passed through legislature before the new year. The bill itself hopes to create more transparency in muncipal elections; the bill would limit total contributions corperations can make to $5000. The current limit is $750 per candidate but corperations can give money to as many candidates is it wishes. The government hopes to bring the same transparency and accountability to municipal elections via limits on contributions similar to what is seen Provincially.
I'm torn on the whole limiting political contributions, on one side of the issue I can appreciate what this intends to accomplish, by limiting contributions your preventing politicians from feeling any obligations to corperations who may give signification amounts of money. Politicians are suppose to appeal to the needs of their constitutions not big spending companies. However, does limiting contributions to candidates limit their capacity to campaign? What if some candidates who would serve well as a represenative are unable to afford running in an election? Political contributions are "in theory" intended to support candidates who can rally support and contributors to support their cause. Plus theres alway the correlation between election spending and electoral success. But I suppse in the end, limiting political contributions is the sacrifice we need to make to ensure everyone feels they are getting the most honest and fair representation from the reps.
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