Special Committee on Local Elections Expense Limits releases report

Courtesy of the Special Legislative Committee on Local Elections Expense Limits:

The all-party Special Committee on Local Elections Expense Limits released its report today on principles for local elections expense limits.

The report contains the results of the committee’s public consultation on principles for the relationship between elector organizations and their endorsed candidates with respect to expense limits, and principles for establishing expense limits for third party advertisers. Over 900 submissions were received.

“The consultations provided an opportunity for candidates, elector organizations and the public to provide input into the committee’s work. Today’s report summarizes what we heard and makes recommendations for principles which can inform the development of legislation on local elections expense limits,” said Committee Chair Jackie Tegart.

“The committee gave careful consideration to all of the input and unanimously agreed to these recommendations,” added Deputy Chair Selina Robinson. “We would like to thank the many individuals and organizations that took time to participate.”

The committee report endorses the principles of fairness, neutrality, transparency, and accountability in developing statutory provisions on local elections expense limits, and supports including third party advertising in an expense limits framework, with an overarching, cumulative limit as exists in provincial elections.

The committee’s report, along with further information on the committee’s work, is available at: https://www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/leel

In 2015, the committee will begin work on the second phase of its mandate related to expense limit amounts for local elections.

Members of the Special Committee on Local Elections Expense Limits are:

Jackie Tegart, MLA	Chair	Fraser-Nicola
Selina Robinson, MLA	Deputy Chair	Coquitlam-Maillardville
Mike Bernier, MLA		Peace River South
Gary Holman, MLA		Saanich North and the Islands
Marvin Hunt, MLA		Surrey-Panorama
Jenny Wai Ching Kwan, MLA		Vancouver-Mount Pleasant
Linda Reimer, MLA		Port Moody-Coquitlam
Sam Sullivan, MLA		Vancouver-False Creek