Province cuts off pocketing leftover civic campaign funds

Successful municipal politicians now face stiffer restrictions on campaign contributions, and what they can do with surplus funds after changes to Alberta law this week.

Changes to the Local Authorities Election Act now limit unions or corporations from donating more than $5,000 to a candidate, and require that surplus campaign funds be either:

• Held in trust by municipalities to be carried over to a re-election campaign.
• Given to the city.
• Donated to a charity.

Previous Calgary councils decided against setting rules on what to do with surplus campaign money.

"I think it's very important that we have hard and fast rules, and now the province has stepped up and said these are some basic rules that you have to follow," said Calgary Ald. Brian Pincott on Wednesday.

Former alderman Barry Erskine welcomes the changes. He retired from politics just a month before the October 2007 civic election and was pressured to prove he donated the leftover money raised for this campaign to charity — even though he was under no legal obligation.

"I tell ya, I really felt very, very beat up about the fact that I had less than $5,000 and I said I was going to use it for charity," Erskine told CBC News on Wednesday.

"All of us want to do the right thing, and I'm glad it's being defined."

Surplus can't be applied to other political races

Candidates who don't get elected and have money left over are not bound by the new rules. Mayor David Bronconnier, who has previously voted against campaign changes and is also sitting on a surplus, said that's unfair.

"I think this is a positive step. I think there is some tweaking required though to make sure that it applies not only to those who are successful in seeking public office but to ensure that the enforcement rules are in place for all candidates," he said.

Some politicians, including aldermen Druh Farrell, Joe Ceci and Pincott, have self-imposed limits on how much they'll accept from a donor.

This week's amendments also preclude funds from being used for political endeavours on other levels. That means the $55,000 or so in Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart's campaign account will not be eligible for her provincial run at the Calgary-Glenmore seat vacated by Ron Stevens earlier this month.

Colley-Urquhart filed her nomination papers on Wednesday seeking to be the Alberta Conservative candidate in the riding.

The next civic elections are scheduled for October 2010.