FELDSTED: Ethical, honest and principled people come from every economic level, and we need them now as never before. Electoral districts are where campaigns should be fought, not on national TV

Winnipeg Free Press ~~ 03/8/2019

The Manitoba government is eliminating a public subsidy for political campaign expenses such as advertising, office rent, transportation and staff wages.

An omnibus budget bill introduced in the legislature would do away with a rebate that reimburses provincial parties and individual candidates 50 per cent of their general campaign expenses. The rebate has been available to any party or candidate that receives at least 10 per cent of the popular vote.

Premier Brian Pallister said Friday ... he considers the subsidy one of the most generous among the provinces.

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We need similar changes to the Federal Elections Act. Subsidizing political parties from the public purse has to end, and we are already providing a tax break to donors, which means less tax revenue to the federal and provincial governments.

I am not, however, in agreement with removal of the rebates for election expenses to electoral districts and candidates. Electoral districts are where campaigns should be fought, not on national TV.

Removing the subsidy to candidates will limit competent people of modest means from running for office. We must not limit our selection to the well-heeled. Ethical, honest and principled people come from every economic level and we need them now as never before.

It is the person we elect in your electoral district, and in mine, who will represent us in Ottawa.  No political party will, and neither will the Prime Minister’s Office.

We need candidates and representatives who will stand up for us and the spine to tell the Party Whip ‘no’ if they are told how to vote and it is not in the interests of his or her constituents.

Democracy works from the bottom up, and governance from the top down does not work for us. The notion that an MP gains 20 points in IQ by being elected is hilarious. They are still the same people with the same failings, flaws and shortcomings we all share. Like us, they have to bend themselves to the task they have taken on, roll up their sleeves and do the best they can with what they have.

MPs are elected to represent us, not the government, or the opposition or a political party.

We have grown complacent, hoping a new government will govern better or cynical, expecting the same tired platitudes in place of change.

The cynics are right -- governments change occasionally but roll on and over us instead of heeding our voices and responding to our concerns.

Government attention has to change from focusing on lobbyists and various ‘groups’ and protestors -- to the general public.  

These are the people who they are elected to serve ... and who pay the bills for governance.

John Feldsted

Political Consultant & Strategist

Winnipeg, Manitoba