Province to introduce ban on union and corporate donations next week

The B.C. government says it plans on introducing legislation that would ban union and corporate political donations next week.

There are currently half a dozen political fundraisers listed on the NDP website before the end of September.

There are currently no caps on how much tickets can cost, or whether unions and corporations can donate.

Attorney General David Eby said concerns about current fundraising events will be addressed when his party introduces the legislation next week.

"The bill will address donations made by unions and corporations made since last election. We think it's important to show that 2017 was the last big money election in British Columbia," he said.

B.C. Premier John Horgan said fundraisers won't end with the new legislation — but would be done with caps and without union and corporate money.

Liberals pre-empt with their own bill

Liberal MLA and former attorney general Andrew Wilkinson said the government shouldn't wait a week to introduce legislation, and should instead adopt a Liberal bill that was tabled today.

"The premise is this is ready to go, it can be amended and there is no reason not to go ahead with it," he said.

The Liberals' private member's bill to reform campaign financing would ban donations to political parties from unions and corporations.

Wilkinson says the bill to amend B.C.'s Election Act is similar to a proposal they made in June, before the Liberals lost a confidence vote.

The previous bill didn't make it to the legislature because the New Democrats formed a minority government with the support of the three Green party members.

The NDP introduced six private member's bills for campaign finance reform while in opposition, but the Liberals rejected each attempt during their 16 years in government.

With files from Richard Zussman and the Canadian Press