Critics say premier needs to do more than ditch her Liberal party stipend

VICTORIA — Premier Christy Clark will still be in a conflict of interest even though she’s rejected her party’s annual stipend, suggests a group that’s been critical of political fundraising in British Columbia.

Duff Conacher of Democracy Watch says Clark will still get the party’s money because she’s requested her stipend be replaced with a system by which she will be reimbursed by the Liberal party for her expenses.

But Conacher says the money will still be coming from donors who have paid to attend Liberal events and rub shoulders with the premier.

“It does nothing to stop the unethical, undemocratic influence of big money in B.C. politics,” Conacher said Saturday from Ottawa.

He said it could end up that Clark still gets $50,000 — the equivalent of her stipend.

Clark announced her decision to discontinue the payment when she attended an unrelated announcement on Friday. She denied the move was related to a recent New York Times article that was critical of party fundraising in B.C. and also rejected the suggestion the timing was connected to the upcoming provincial election in May.

Rather, Clark said the stipend had become a “distraction” and that she would ask other party leaders in the province to accept a system by which they would be reimbursed for party fundraising expenses.

Liberals confirmed last spring that Clark is paid up to $50,000 per year for party work on top of her $195,000 salary.

NDP Opposition Leader John Horgan said Clark may only see the stipend as a distraction, but the public sees it as a conflict.

“After six years of taking money for fundraising, to say just before the election that we’re not going to do it anymore, I think it speaks to an issue that’s going to be dogging the issue up to election day,” Horgan said.

Democracy Watch, as well as an opposition member of the legislature, filed conflict-ofinterest complaints over the stipend and fundraisers, where tickets are sold for thousands of dollars.