NPA President Michael Davis didn't seem to have as scrutinizing an eye when his party and Sam Sullivan were in power.
It is no surprise that the NPA came out swinging following Vision Vancouver’s release of their financials yesterday:
NPA Calls Vision Vancouver Fundraising astonishing
Vancouver—Vision Vancouver today released statements showing they have raised over $433,000 since March 1, 2009.
Vancouver Non-Partisan Association (NPA) President Michael Davis says Vision Vancouver is taking municipal campaign fundraising to astonishing levels.
“In front of reporters, Mayor Robertson says campaign finance is out of control and should be reigned in through legislation,” says Davis. “Behind the scenes, the party he leads is taking close to half a million from developers and trade unions in a non-election year. What do you suppose these donors expect in return?”
The documents filed by Vision Vancouver show they took $433,560.83 in contributions since March 1, 2009. The party used $241,666.70 to pay off their 2008 campaign debt and spent $181,522.35.
“Residents should be very concerned about what how much this Mayor is prepared to pay to stay in power,” adds Davis, “and who is paying the bills.”
But Davis had a different set of criteria when talking about the donations that his own party received for the 2008 election.
Here is Davis to Mike Howell of the Vancouver Courier in March, 2009 when asked about the fact that “a large percentage of the NPA’s money came from developers”:
Hmmm…so in regards to those donations, let me ask the same question that Davis does in his press release: “What do you suppose these donors expect in return?”
Furthermore, with 1488 total contributors, and 2925 individual donations, no person or entity was even close to the 1/4 threshold that Davis mentions.
Davis also states that “Residents should be very concerned about what how much this Mayor is prepared to pay to stay in power and who is paying the bills.”
I wonder if Davis was asking the same questions when Sam Sullivan was frantically fundraising for the KnowWards campaign or to protect his own nomination. The answer is no, as pointed out by Monte Paulsen:
“Sullivan hasn’t answered those questions put to him by The Tyee. And so far no one in his party, nor any of his donors, are making a public issue of what is to become of a campaign war chest widely estimated to have recently held as much as a half-million dollars.”
I have no problem for Davis’ past calls for municipal finance reform. In fact, I am happy that he is on that track, as regardless of which party is in power, the size of campaign spending in recent years has got out of control.
What I don’t have time for, however, is blatant hypocrisy in the different standards he applies to his own party when in power, and to Vision Vancouver now that they are the majority in City Hall.
Let’s keep things in perspective…these criticisms by Davis are little more than shallow politicking by the President of the main party of opposition to the sitting government.
Carry on with the summer malaise, people.
