Re: Article 15

Just an aside to this issue of borrowing for a political party.
Many of the 'old line,' parties do have assets they can borrow
against.

The assets have been bequeathed to thier fund raising organization.
In the example of the P.C. Party BH(before harper) they had the PC
Fund. To that was bequeathed a piece of property in the core of
Toronto. Although it was not a cash donation, it was a donation with
a concrete value to is, against which loans were taken.

Some of the problems involved in the marriage of the Reform and PC
Party were directly connected to that issue, as well as some of the
assets bequeathed to the Reform Party. The issue of the PC Fund and
all bequeathes, is that you must follow the directions given in the
will or estate of the donor. That means if the asset is donated to
the PC Fund for a particular purpose, then you must go back to the
estate and ask for permission to change the use of the piece of
property or whatever was donated.

Both the Liberals and NDP have such an animal. In Alberta the
provincial Liberal Party has a fund called the Rutherford Fund.
It would be for this reason, that the Green Party of Canada should
look at setting up a fund raising organization that is seperate from
the Green Party of Canada, but with the Green Party of Canada being
the benefactor.

This does two things. One, a non-profit RevCan registered
organization cannot give out tax receipts for a group that is a
political advocacy group. Two, it allows people to have a place to
beqeath to in a variety of ways, either upon their death, or before,
in a way that benefits their tax position upon death, and the Green
Party of Canada.

Setting up the seperate organization allows people to purchase life
insurance policies with the GPC as the benefactor, or donate property
to the GPC, while still using the property. Why do this?

It means a farmer can donate their land to the GPC, live on the
property until they die, and the Green Party of Canada has an asset.
They get a tax issue solved, and the GPC gets an asset.

In the area of life insurance, a person of substantial wealth can
purchase a life insurance policy of say $20,000, pay the entire
premium up in one check, get a receipt for that, and the Green Party
of Canada can then cash the policy in for $20,000. Both sides get a
benefit, and this allows someone with a burning desire to see the
Green Party of Canada become the government, to help in a small way.

I am finding in my work and associations with the Green Party of
Canada, a mind-set of thinking small and not much past the next
election. We must be looking as a party, past the horizon and how we
can set up the party, its finances, and governance that has thinking
of the GPC being a real live player on the political field of Canada.

We must go at all we do with the belief we will be the governing
party sooner, rather than later, or god forbid, never.