• NDP collects $1.5 million
• B.C. Liberals collect $1.1 million
• B.C. Greens collect $497 thousand

VANCOUVER, B.C.: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is denouncing the practise of giving taxpayers’ money to political parties in the wake of the snap election this past fall.

“It’s tough to think of dumber waste of taxpayers’ money than handing it over to political parties so they can stuff our mailboxes full of junk and line our streets with lawn signs,” said Kris Sims, B.C. director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

Elections British Columbia, the nonpartisan commission responsible for administering elections in the province, announced the per-vote subsidy amounts collected during the last election:

• The NDP received $1,573,929
• The B.C. Liberals received $1,114,328
• The B.C. Green Party received $497,570
• The Conservative Party received $62,828
• The Rural B.C. party received $1,319

“Five political parties have been given more than $3.2 million from B.C. taxpayers in this so-called per-vote subsidy,” said Sims. “That money could have paid the salaries of 49 fulltime B.C. paramedics for a year instead of paying for attack ads during the election.”

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is urging Premier John Horgan to put a stop to politician welfare and require parties to earn their own donations to run their campaigns instead.

Political parties in B.C. are also eligible to have half of their election related expenses paid for by taxpayers.

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