Angry in the Great White North

The Liberal Party can run an election campaign thanks to me:

While Liberal fundraising so far this year totals only $2.6-million, compared with $12-million for the Tories and $2.5-million for the New Democratic Party, public financing ensures the party gets an annual allowance of more than $8-million based on its voter support in the last election.

Plus the Liberals received more than $8-million in public funds for 2006 election campaign expenses and would get that amount again after the next election.

So let me get this straight. Outside of the election period, the Liberal Party can't get people to willingly donate money, but once the writ is dropped, the same taxpayers toss in millions.

When you think about it, it is the typical left-wing approach. Ensuring equality of outcome, not equality of opportunity:

While successful Conservative fundraising gives the minority government a financial advantage outside the campaign period, Elections Canada levels the playing field by setting the same spending ceiling on all the parties during the campaign.

The Liberals, the NDP, and the Conservatives all have the same opportuniity to raise funds. The Conservatives do it very welll, while the Liberals (dependent on corporate donations) and the NDP (dependent on union donations) are struggling.

But for their efforts, the Conservatives don't really realize any benefit. The principle of equality of outcome kicks in, and the rules result in millions of dollars being handed over to the Liberals and the NDP that essentially tops off their anemic bank accounts, while spending limits ensure that the Conservatives can't take full advantage of their success.

No wonder the Liberals aren't really all that worried:

[Liberal Pary National Director Greg Fergus] said the Liberals are focused on finding ways to expand their contribution base. But he said it is not money that is holding the party back from toppling the minority government; leader Stephane Dion would decide when it's best for the party to contest an election.

He said he does not consider the contribution level low, compared with how the party did last year and when it is taken into account Liberals are still adjusting to fairly recent legislation governing political party finances.

The public financing system provides all parties an allowance worth about $1.75 per vote they received in the last election.

Why isn't Greg Fergus more concerned? For the Liberal Party, money isn't holding back the move to force an election. An election is the source of the money. The party has to consider when the political mood is such that the Liberals can win the most votes, and so get the most money.

Ironic, isn't it? The whole point of the system is to help separate politics and money, when dollars were turned into votes. But all it has done is turn votes into dollars.