The B.C. government has come down on the side of openness and transparency by backing Bill C-377.
The Vancouver Sun just reported that a letter from Finance Minister Mike de Jong went to the Senate last week laying out B.C.’s position on the Private Member’s Bill that would require unions to practice the kind of financial transparency already required of charities.
In his letter to the Senate, de Jong wrote that “unions, which endeavour to influence public policy and have tax-exempt status, should be more transparent and accountable for their spending decisions.”
Organized labour has been fighting the Bill and it’s goal of requiring them provide financial disclosure in exchange for the generous tax treatment they receive under the law.
The Vancouver Sun article on the B.C. position is available here.
