Telecom sector still handing out money to major Canadian political parties

Once again, members of the telecom community were generous when it came time to donate to Canada's five major political parties. Figures released by Elections Canada show telecommunications companies, law firms, unions and individuals gave heavily to the parties. Network Letter examined the filings from the Liberal Party of Canada, the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance, the Bloc Québécois, the New Democratic Party and the Progressive Conservative Party. A similar survey was done last year (NL, Oct. 10/01). Donations were made to the parties directly, or as in-kind services, or through the purchase of tickets to fundraising dinners. The various members of the BCE conglomerate figured prominently in the lists of all parties except the NDP. BCE Inc. gave $4,780.93 to the Liberals and $1,000 to the Tories. Bell Canada donated $49,047 to the Grits, $16,992.33 to the Conservatives, $3,500 to the Alliance and $400 to the BQ. Bell Globemedia gave to the Liberals ($20,611.14) and the Conservatives ($4,759.30). The Liberals received contributions from BCE Emergis ($4,346.30), Bell ExpressVu ($908.14) and Bell Intrigna ($3,507.28). In a last act of corporate giving, Bell Canada International donated $683.62 to the Conservatives. Telus Corp. was more limited in scope. It gave the Liberals $49,016.54, kicking in an additional $2,500 to the party's Judy LaMarsh Fund, which encourages women candidates. Telus Communications (BC) Inc. handed over $5,789.40, while the government and regulatory affairs section gave the Grits $5,626. The telco's Edmonton office donated $10,154.56 to the PCs, with the Ottawa bureau contributing $1,207.84. The western ILEC was loyal to its fellow westerners, giving the Alliance $20,000 from its Edmonton office and $3,641.60 from the larger company. Aliant Inc. gave the Tories $2,696.10 while its NBTel subsidiary handed over $1,000 to the Alliance. The only other major ILEC to appear on the list is Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., which donated $3,586.20 to the Liberals. CLECs were more reserved in their donations. AT&T Canada Corp. gave $3,020 to the Alliance and $1,234 to the Progressive Conservatives. The Alliance received $5,000 from GT Group Telecom Inc. while Call-Net Enterprises Inc. gave the Grits $914.50. In addition to corporate donations, several people involved in the telecom world made individual donations. The Liberals received $1,000 each from three regulatory personnel: Bell's Bernard Courtois, AT&T Canada VP (and former Liberal candidate) Chris Peirce and Ian Scott of Call-Net. The Conservatives collected from Ted Rogers of Rogers Communications Inc. (separate donations of $26,000 and $800); RCI vice-chair Philip Lind ($1,000); ex-Stentor chief Jocelyne Côté-O'Hara ($263.72); and telecom consultant Iain Grant ($450). Perhaps the most unexpected name on the list is CRTC commissioner Barbara Cram. She gave the Liberals $1,240. The NDP got most of its financial support from the telecom sector from the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, which represents Bell workers. National headquarters donated $117,529.43, the Ontario regional office gave $2,751.70, the Atlantic region contributed $1,200 and the western region $750. Nine locals made donations under $1,000. A Quebec City local contributed $1,000 to the BQ. The Telecommunications Workers Union, the primary union at Telus, gave the NDP $7,643.60. The New Democrats received $10,500 from Osler Hoskin & Harcourt, a law firm that does some telecom work. The firm also gave $9,884.23 to the Liberals (with an additional $945.80 to the LaMarsh fund), $10,000 to the Alliance, and $9,708.90 to the Conservatives. Other law firms with connections to the telecom industry restricted their contributions to the Grits, Tories and Alliance.

Telecom sector still handing out money to major Canadian political parties

News | 08/27/2002 4:00 am EDT

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