How often have you opened the mail to find a black and white piece of propaganda from a politician in another riding? Usually they contain an inflammatory headline and a portion you can return with check boxes beside the names of each party leader. You are supposed to select the leader that you think is "tough on crime" or "has the best tax reduction strategy". Did you know that we, Canadian taxpayers, pay for these pieces of party propaganda? Am I the only one who naively thought that these were paid for by the MPs or their parties?
These ten percenters, called such because MPs are allowed to send as many pamphlets as 10% of their riding, are an outrageous example of party politics. Though recently members of the NDP and Liberal party have been outraged by false accusations in some ten percenters sent out by Conservative MPs, none of the parties seem to be calling for an end to the program. Why would they? They all benefit from the free advertising. The only ones who don't benefit from it are Canadians. We have to deal with the false information in the pamphlets, our recycling bins get filled with them, and then we pay the bills (printing, postage and return postage for those who respond to the ridiculous checklists). It's time to say enough to all parties. If they want to campaign, inside or outside of election time, they can pay for it themselves.
We're done indulging political parties and paying for their games.
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I share your opinion that the 10 percenters should be abolished. If a politician -- MP or otherwise -- who doesn't represent my riding wants to send me mail, they can pay to do so just like everyone else.
ReplyDeleteLiving in Edmonton-Strathcona (represented by Linda Duncan), I receive a Conservative ten-percenter every week. I voted Conservative in the past election, but that doesn't mean that I think they have the right to send what is essentially campaign material for the next election entirely at the taxpayer's expense.
It's time for this practice to be terminated.