Liberal donations hit coffers

The B.C. Liberal Party has returned a total of $33,825 in prohibited donations to Elections BC, most of it after two organizations failed to cash cheques refunding the gifts.

According to Elections BC spokesperson Jennifer Porayko, the office sent the returned money to the government's consolidated revenue fund, meaning that it went into the province's general revenue. In 2002, 2003, and 2004, Genome British Columbia gave $8,655 to the B.C. Liberal Party, according to financial statements filed with Elections BC. As well, during the same three years, an organization listed in the disclosure statements as the "Great Century Fund" gave the party $24,750.

On May 4, 2005, the donations were returned by cheque to the two organizations, according to B.C. Liberal Party communications director Chad Pederson. He said the party was unable to discover any information about the Great Century Fund, which does not appear in the Canada Revenue Agency's list of charities. "We refunded it out of an abundance of caution," Pederson told the Georgia Straight.

However, when the cheques were not cashed, the donations were instead forwarded to Elections BC last December 31. The refunds are the result of changes made to the Election Act since the 2001 general election. According to Section 186(4) of the legislation, an organization is no longer allowed to make political contributions if its objectives are the relief of poverty, advancement of education or religion, protection of health, governmental or municipal purposes, or other purposes beneficial to the community. Though the act refers to the above as "charitable" organizations, this provision applies regardless of whether the organization is a registered charity for tax purposes.

Other prohibited Liberal contributions, totalling $420, were received anonymously through the mail. As required by the legislation, that was also sent to the chief elections office.

Genome British Columbia is an organization that funds research in genomics and related kinds of scientific inquiry. According to Genome B.C.'s Web site, Deputy Advanced Education Minister Moura Quayle is a nonvoting member of the organization's board of directors. As well, the site says, one of Genome B.C.'s "major investors" is the B.C. government. According to the province's public accounts, the government paid Genome B.C. $5 million in the year ended March 31, 2005.

Genome B.C. did not return a call from the Straight by press time.

Several other organizations made prohibited donations to the B.C. Liberals last year. The YMCA of Greater Vancouver gave the party $700 on May 20, three days after the general election. Discovery Parks Trust, a Vancouver developer of technology office and research space, gave $5,000. All of the money has since been returned.

The NDP reported receiving no prohibited donations last year.