I recently came across
this May 12 article about our Neighbours To The North, which I wanted to
scare share with you all:
VANCOUVER - 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. . . .
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."
Under American law, individuals need only file with the FEC for making such
independent expenditures when they spend more that $250/yr on communications "expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate that is not made in cooperation, consultation, or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a candidate's authorized committee, or their agents, or a political party or its agents."
That section does not, at present, apply to the Internet; however, the end result of the FEC's current rulemaking process is up for grabs. Who knows what it will take to qualify for the "media exemption" to protect your right to speak freely on federal candidates without having to hire attorneys and file forms?
So, I ask you:
I'm listening, because that's what it's all
aboot about.