BC Political leaders hammer each other over corporate and union donations

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The provincial election campaign is about to enter the second half, and the gloves are off.

Today the party leaders focused on money.

Specifically where it’s coming from to fund the political parties.

Mary Griffin explains.

“That goes here? Alright.”

It’s the kind of photo op Christy Clark is famous for.

“So the architect sent you a picture.”

With hard hat on, she’s taking aim at the NDP.

Clarks says the NDP is compromised.

That’s because the Steelworkers’ Union, a union with American ties, pays the wages of NDP campaign director Bob Dewar and his deputy Glen Sanford.

“I will not sell out BC forestry workers because the guys who write my speeches are being paid by rich, American interests in Pittsburgh.”

She had a tougher time defending the millions to Liberals from corporations.

“What I would say is, um, it’s not the same. It’s not the same.  Those U.S. lumber barons are greedy and are hurting BC lumber jobs. And I am not making excuses for them.”

But Horgan targeted the $250,000 donation to the Liberals from Weyerhauser, the same American company fighting to impose duties on BC’s softwood lumber.

“Christy Clark has no problem cashing cheques from Weyerhauser. But she has a big problem with workers in BC. Just last year, she sat down for one of her $10,000 a plate dinners at the house of the former CEO of Weyerhauser.”

The Green Party banned corporate and union donations in 2016.

They say the NDP and Liberals are cashing in.

“The BC NDP’s mantra is: you’re bought by corporations. You only cater to your corporate clients.  Then we come and we see the 2016 elections donations, and we see something like $675,000, I forget the exact money donation from the United Steel Workers.”

University of Victoria political scientist Michael Prince says the winner in the donation fight is the Green Party’s Andrew Weaver.

“The more Mr. Horgan and Ms. Clark go at each other, the Premier and the leader of the opposition go at each other on these corporate and union donations, this allows Mr. Weaver to say, “We’re ahead of the curve on both of those issues.”

And as the campaign heads into the second half, expect that the leaders will continue hammering each other.

Mary GriffinMary Griffin

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