NDP leader calls for end to corporate, union political donations

The leader of the provincial NDP says it's time to end corporate and union political donations.

"The 21st century beckons," Earle McCurdy told reporters Monday afternoon.

"We've got an old-fashioned system, and we should look at modernizing our election financing rules so there aren't perceptions out there that somehow you buy access to powerful people or that you buy favourable decisions in government funding and contracts."

The current system leaves people cynical, he said, adding the government should establish an all-party committee on election finance reform, as called for by NDP MHA Lorraine Michael in the House of Assembly on Monday.

Thousands in corporate donations to Liberals and PCs

"There's been a number of instances now that have come to light — some recently, some not quite so recently — where companies made financial contributions to political parties, and subsequently got significant government financial support, contracts or whatever," he said.

McCurdy's comments were sparked by a report in the Telegram on Monday, just after Corner Brook Pulp and Paper reached a deal with the provincial government over its pension plan, that the company donated $20,000 to the provincial Liberals in 2016.

"It just kind of smacks of old-style politics," said McCurdy. "You can see it if you trace the contributions over a period of three or four years in the Elections NL reports. You can actually see the corporate money move from one party to another as the political fortunes of the respective parties go up and down."

That breeds cynicism. I think that's maybe one of the factors why we have low voter turnout.- Earle McCurdy

"That breeds cynicism. I think that's maybe one of the factors why we have low voter turnout."

Indeed, on Monday the Liberals released the total amounts donated by Corner Brook Pulp and Paper to the Liberals and the PCs over the last 20 years, totalling $72,575 to the PCs and $78,475 to the Liberals.

'I'm for turfing all of it'

About 70 per cent of the NDP's funding in the last election came from donations from five unions, but McCurdy said there aren't the same connections between union donations and policy decisions.

Regardless, "I'm for turfing all of it," he said.

Asked if Corner Brook Pulp and Paper had donated any money to the Liberals in 2017, Premier Dwight Ball said there's no reason for him to know that.

"That is not something that I'm focused on at all," he said.

"Right now, my No. 1 job is securing the future for Newfoundland and Labrador, the financial future for the province, not the party, and getting some people to work."