Canadian Conservatives say spending restraint should begin with political parties

Canada's Globe and Mail is reporting that the nation's minority Conservative government is proposing to end taxpayers' $27m subsidy of political parties as part of a series of austerity measures.

Each Canadian political party receives Can$1.95pa for every vote that they received at the last election.  The subsidy was introduced a few years ago as part of a compensation package for parties agreeing not to take money from corporations and trade unions.

Although the subsidy most benefits the CanCons (as the largest party) they also need it least - being much more successful than the left-wing opposition parties at being able to raise small amounts of money from lots of grassroots Canadians.  The National Post:

"The Conservatives will characterize the cuts as belt-tightening that politicians must do to set an example for the rest of the country, but it will have a disproportionate effect on each party. For the Conservatives, for example, the public subsidy accounted for just 35% of their revenue in the 12-month period ending Sept. 30. But the subsidy accounted for about two thirds of the revenue of the Bloc Quebecois and the Liberal Party."

The CanCons take a Thatcherite view of funding decisions; controversially defunding 'fringe arts groups' before the last election.