CBRM election campaign donations create perception of conflict of interest: CBU prof

A political scientist says Cape Breton Regional Municipality council members who accepted donations during last fall's election campaign are not in a conflict of interest.

But he says the public might not see it that way and that's why he's calling for change.

"Now that we are early in a new mandate, it would be valuable, it would be a positive exercise for the CBRM council to initiate a serious and productive study of how we can do campaign financing reform in this community," said Cape Breton University professor Tom Urbaniak.

Documents released last week by the municipality show Cecil Clarke raised nearly $148,000 in his successful campaign for the mayoralty.

More than a dozen donations were for $5,000 or more and came from local businesses.

Meanwhile, Joe Ward came second in the mayoral race while spending a total of $778 and using only his own money. Rankin MacSween, who finished third, raised just under $88,000, including $50,000 that he put in himself.

Urbaniak said Ward's case was unusual, because he managed to spread his message successfully on social media, but the professor said CBRM is a growing and increasingly urban municipality and the numbers show that's generating big money for political donations from companies, unions and other organizations.

"It's still pretty wide open in the case of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and so that's why you are seeing some donations of a size that could not be made … in a federal election."

Novaporte CEO Albert Barbusci, whose contract is up for renewal to develop CBRM land in Sydney harbour, donated a total of $2,300 to several council candidates and two of them won.

Urbaniak said that does not put those councillors in a conflict of interest when it comes to voting on a new contract, "but it's the perception that is important here and that's part of the reason why other jurisdictions have taken a more robust and proactive approach to campaign financing."

"The public generally has to have a sense that there are no strings attached in respect to our elected officials' ability to analyze a particular proposal or project and make a decision that's for the common good."

Under the Nova Scotia Municipal Elections Act, CBRM council candidates are required to report any campaign donations of $50 or more, but they are not required to report how they spent the money. 

Urbaniak said CBRM should consider limiting donations and making campaign spending more transparent.

The list of campaign donations, called Form 40, is on CBRM's website.

Irwin Simon, owner of the Cape Breton Eagles hockey team and a local hotel, donated $10,000 to Clarke's winning campaign.

Local electrical and construction supply companies owned by Paul Aucoin also donated $10,000 to the mayor.

Membertou, which has a one-quarter ownership stake in Novaporte, also donated $1,000 to Clarke's campaign.

Novaporte's contract, which was to lease CBRM land and build a container terminal on it, expired the month after the election.

It sparked some controversy last year when now-retired councillor Darren Bruckschwaiger complained the company was pursuing an offshore wind marshalling yard, despite its contract wording specific to a container terminal, and despite the fact that a private company was already marshalling offshore wind turbine parts directly across the harbour from CBRM's land.

Clarke has said Novaporte is now exercising its contract option to buy the land outright from CBRM for $10 million, but the details are still being worked out.

Two businesses owned by Doug Doucet and connected to the bid to build residential and commercial buildings on the Sydney waterfront donated $6,000 to Clarke's campaign. 

One of Doucet's companies also donated $1,000 to MacSween's failed mayoral bid.

Former deputy mayor James Edwards raised $8,450, including $1,000 from Novaporte's Barbusci, and finished fourth.

Barbusci also donated $500 each to councillors Eldon MacDonald, who won having raised a total of $950, and Lorne Green, who did not win. Barbusci gave $300 to Esmond (Blue) Marshall, who received no other donations but successfully won his seat back after having lost it in the last term.

Controversial candidate raised $0

Green raised a total of $2,850 in his failed attempt to retain his seat. He was ousted by Kim Campbell, who raised $3,900.

Coun. Darren O'Quinn, who was embroiled in controversy during and after the election, reported receiving no donations.

During the campaign, he claimed opponent Louie Piovesan should be disqualified, because Piovesan was nominated before getting a leave of absence from CBRM, where he is employed.

Shortly after the election, O'Quinn took heat before being sworn in as a CBRM councillor for immediately running as a candidate for the PC Party in the provincial election.

Five councillors acclaimed

He lost that race and remains on CBRM council.

Steven MacNeil won the District 8 seat having received no donations.

Dave MacKeigan won the race in District 9, having raised $8,001.

Paul Nickituk won District 10, with $4,100 in donations.

Five other councillors did not have to file campaign disclosures, because no one ran against them and they were acclaimed.

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