03 Jun Union tries end-run around election rules—dissent

Contrarian reader Garland Ingraham, former Business Manager for the Mainland Nova Scotia Building & Construction Trades Council and former Business Representative for International Union of Elevator Constructors, Local 125, thinks the media are making too much of the dubious council donations to the NDP that were returned following inquiries by contrarian.

Prior to the Mainland building trades meeting held on April 9, 2009, the Mainland council had made political contribution to all three main parties, Tories, Liberals, and NDP . A motion in the Council’s books, which had been there for some time  basically stated that if political contributions were to be made that all parties receive an equal amount.

As a past Business Manager for the Mainland Building Trades Council, I have personally written out checks, signed by the signing officers, for payment to various candidates of all three parties, Tories, Liberals and NDP. No checks were ever returned durning my term with the council. So if the NDP is tainted so are the other two.

With all this political bull in the air, I am thinking its a great time to plant my garden.

Amendments to the Members and Public Employees Contributions Act that took effect on March 2, 2007, barred donations greater than $5,000 by any individual or organization (including corporations and unions) to any one political party or its candidates.

The union locals that make up the Building and Construction Trades Council are distinct organizations. Each is entitled to donate up to $5,000 to each party. The donations themselves were probably legal. Any council undertaking to reimburse its member unions likely were not.