(Kelly Blidook, file photo.) A Memorial University political scientist cries out for recent comments by Prime Minister Andrew Furey that campaign donations should be limited. Furey responded to reports that former PC leader Ches Crosbie had donated $ 300,000 of his own funds to the party’s latest campaign. Blidook calls the donation “weird,” but says he’s less concerned about Crosbie’s contribution than the fact that there appear to be no campaign donation limits. He says the main concern is not that the leader will donate this level of funding, but that it seems that everyone can. Blidook says the biggest question is whether a company or union or other outside interest made this kind of donation, raising questions about whether the party would be obliged to make decisions or policy changes in their favor. “What all this shows,” says Blidook, “is that someone could come and do that.” Blidook says the provincial government had pledged to address electoral reform, but has not yet fulfilled its commitments made years ago. He did not raise a fist, citing commitments made in 2015, the last year of a Liberal-majority government, when a committee was beaten to address electoral reform, but “then we saw it was just cynical rubbish.” Justice Secretary John Hogan says the Provincial Panel Committee, which is reviewing the province’s Electoral Law, is planning a public consultation as it continues to work on its work. Hogan was answering questions from the media about electoral reform and election financing. Hogan says the funding rules and guidelines are included in the election law, which he says is under consideration. He is sure that this will be something to discuss, if there should be donation limits and if so, what those limits should be. PC leader David Brazil says members of his party are on the review committee and says it is something they are considering. “We will look at what the other jurisdictions are doing,” says Brazil, “and being aware that political parties must function in a functional way.”
