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Thursday, May 12, 2005
Hey, Culpepper! Why Didn't You Say Something Earlier?
Elections B.C. is having a hard time keeping up with a boom of bloggers who are publishing partisan messages during the current election campaign. They're supposed to register themselves as advertising sponsors if they post a partisan position on a candidate, party, or referendum question."Under the Election Act, it will fall within the definition of election advertising, and we would ask them to register," says Jennifer Miller, of Elections B.C. Miller says the volume of sites is overwhelming, and doesn't rule out asking for a change to the Election Act.
"If we feel certain parts of the act can be amended to make it more effective and efficient, we will definitely make that recommendation," she says.
That's not sitting well with bloggers like Mike Culpepper of Nelson, whose website advocates the "no" side of the referendum on the single transferable vote. He says Elections B.C.'s definition of blogs as advertising is akin to calling a letter to the editor advertising. And he says that going after bloggers sends a chill over the right to free speech. "If you start looking on each person as an advertiser, then you begin to suppress political debate."
In the meantime, Culpepper says other bloggers who have asked Elections B.C. for guidelines are being told to register as advertisers - so he's decided not to ask.
Hey, Culpepper, why didn't you say something earlier?
Here is Miller's contact info at Elections BC. Email is electionsbc@elections.bc.ca.
A few hundred blog posts coming in from across Canada and the US, all of them with something to say about the BC election, submtted for "review" to Ms. Miller, might help get the point across.
Posted by Kate McMillan on May 12, 2005 in Weblogs | Permalink
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Comments
Greg in Texas:
http://www.andrewcoyne.com
A.C. Coyne also states that Canada, does not, repeat, does not have a government at this time.
Your input, please.
Posted by: maz2 | 2005-05-12 8:36:53 PM
Just sent the following to elections bc...wonder if they'll charge me...Here's hoping.
______________________
Just a quick note.
I post about the BC Election on my blog http://www.reviewing.blogspot.com
I am a British Columbia resident and have not the slightest intention of registering as an advertiser.
You can reach me at this email address.
Yours,
Jay Currie
Posted by: Jay Currie | 2005-05-12 10:59:45 PM
That's great!
So I guess this means CBC will register as a Liberal advertiser for the Federal election?
Posted by: tony blurman | 2005-05-13 6:13:56 AM
Why should something posted on a blog be defined as an advertisement but something spoken in a meeting does not fit that same definition? Both are, hopefully, partisan, in the sense that the comments take a particular position and are not so politically correct that they have no position at all and are just meaningless words.
The reality of electronic media is changing the nature of election campaigns.
Posted by: ET | 2005-05-13 7:20:05 AM
Excellent point Tony, may as well include the Aspers, Red Star and The Globe and Mail.
Posted by: mr | 2005-05-13 7:23:05 AM
"If every message in the blog were in quotation, would it not be merely a conversation?"
Posted by: Polly | 2005-05-13 9:28:31 AM
What about posting comments on a blog? Do I need to register to do that?
Posted by: Rob | 2005-05-13 9:40:57 AM
maz2, I hear you.
Note to Americans: I ask all of my fellow Americans reading the Shotgun to please bring your senators and congressmen up to speed on the Canadian crisis.
Today, I will be calling my Congressman about this matter on the recommendation of my friend in one of our US Senators' offices.
I have to be wary of approaching Democrats with liberal inclinations, as they would probably have a natural sympathy with the Libranos. On the other hand, Conservatives running the Canadian government would be a selling point to American politicians who would enjoy a more cooperative relationship in various joint policies.
What we need is a sort of brief, to-the-point fact sheet to email or snail mail to all of our congressmen and senators. And also to distribute on American circulation lists.
We need to find out what US congressional and senate committees deal with Canadian issues and make sure they are apprised of the situation.
I hope huge numbers of Canadians start wearing those great new t-shirts the Western Standard has produced.
We don't want to give US politicians the idea that we are being precipitous by making them feel we are pressing them to engage in what they perceive to be Canadian parliamentary wrangling. So we have to make them understand what a lack of confidence vote actually means in a parliamentary system.
Probably toward the middle of next week, as the situation continues to develop, I'll be in touch with the US Speaker of the House's office and that of the Senate Majority Leader.
We have to be careful that we don't manage to get some small response from our politicians only to have to report to them that the situation resolved itself. You know, we don't want to have to say, "nevermind."
If my congressman's office tells me anything interesting, I'll let you know.
Posted by: Greg | 2005-05-13 10:20:33 AM
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