Tory campaign-finance reform compounds 2006 Liberal leadership debt woes

It seems that Stephen Harper has successfully harpooned the Liberals once again.

On Wednesday, the Canadian Press published a story with a headline that read 'Court rejects indebted Liberal leadership candidates' pleas for extension.'

The headline gives readers the impression that the candidates in the 2006 Liberal leadership race recklessly overspent and now can't even afford to pay off their debts.

While it's true that Hedy Fry, Martha Hall Findlay and Joe Volpe still owe tens of thousands of dollars from the '06 campaign, the primary reason they still owe the money is because of a new rule put forward by the Harper government.

According to the Globe and Mail, Canada's election law dictates that no one may donate more than $1,100, in total, to help candidates in a single leadership race. So, if a Liberal supporter gave $1,100 to one of Hall Findlay's competitors, they are not permitted to give money to her.

It is a rule that was imposed retroactively by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. When the 2006 Liberal leadership campaign began, every donor was allowed to contribute $5,400 and the candidates budgeted and borrowed accordingly.

Now, with the party's popularity in decline and the pool of card-carrying Liberal donors practically exhausted, those who still owe money are being forced to turn to non-Liberal donors to help them pay for a contest they lost six years ago.

To make matters worse for the three, a top Ontario court has rejected their latest request for extensions to pay their expenses. Failure to pay within the required time frame could bring a fine of $1,000 or up to three months in jail.

According to the Globe, there is talk that the Conservative government is planning on changing the rules again, allowing contributions of $1,100 per year. But there is no indication that it will be applied retroactively.

About a year ago, Gerry Nichols, a former colleague of Stephen Harper's at the National Citizen's Coalition, told the Globe and Mail that the prime minister has always wanted to jettison Canada's 'natural governing party.'

"Ever since his days at the (National Citizen's Coalition), Stephen talked about eliminating the Liberals as a political force in Canada," he said.

"This was both for personal and tactical reasons. He didn't like Liberals — he always viewed them as biased against Alberta."

The Tories have already decimated the Liberals at the polls thanks in no small part to the negative attack ads targeted at former leaders Michael Ignatieff and Stéphane Dion.

They also wounded the Liberals, last year, by passing legislation to eliminate the $2 per vote taxpayer subsidy given to political parties.

And now, they've forced debt problems onto former leadership candidates making the Liberal party look even more 'Mickey Mouse.'

Somewhere Stephen Harper is grinning ear to ear.