Real estate developers seeking project approvals from the city are “not being altruistic” when they give contributions to council candidates, according to a Coquitlam city councillor.
Chris Wilson spoke candidly about the campaign finance process during a debate Monday night over whether corporate and union donations should be banned in municipal elections.
In the end, council voted 6-2 against a motion brought forward by Coun. Bonita Zarrillo to send a resolution to the Union of BC Municipalities to have that body lobby the province to end the practice.
Wilson, who received $10,975 from individual donors, $15,450 from corporate contributors and $10,334 from trade unions in his 2014 election campaign, said excessive campaign donations undermine the public’s confidence in council decisions.
“We can say we believe that we are not influenced,” he said, “but the public does not believe it. The developers don’t believe it, either. Why would they be giving us money?”
But Wilson’s feelings were not shared by the majority of his council colleagues.
Mayor Richard Stewart, who received $23,988 from individual donors and $48,250 from corporations, said both Wilson and Zarrillo ran as part of a union-backed slate during the last election. These labour groups, he said, not only support candidates financially but through the use of their member lists, which are targeted during get-out-the-vote efforts. Banning union and corporate contributions, Stewart said, would give organized labour an advantage.
Independent candidates would also be hurt, according to Coun. Brent Asmundson, who received $8,609 from individual donors and $23,150 from corporations.
“It would limit the ability to have independents,” he said. “It would force candidates to join parties because they won’t be able to afford to run independently.”
Meanwhile, Coun. Craig Hodge said while he would support changes to the campaign finance process, he is not in favour of an outright ban on union and corporate contributions. Hodge, who received $4,047 from individuals, $30,010 from corporations and $2,000 from labour groups, added that he would like to see a cap on the amount an entity can contribute to one candidate and believes donations should only be allowed during a defined election period.
The provincial government recently enacted spending caps for municipal election campaigns based on the population size of a given city. The new rules do not, however, limit how much an individual, corporation or union can donate to a candidate.
In Coquitlam, where the current population is 144,668, according to the city’s most recent annual report, the cap on spending for mayoral candidates would be $86,317 while council candidates could spend up to $43,807.
In 2014, a total of $297,225 went to the campaigns of the nine candidates currently sitting on council while $58,570 came from unions.
@gmckennaTC
