Northern lack of exposure

The CP points out some of the unintended consequences of Canada's federal campaign financing rules:

Reforms passed in 2003 resulted in a $1,000 limit on the amount of money corporations can donate to any one candidate. That killed a practice by northern airlines of giving free or discounted plane tickets to candidates - the only way for many of the 58 communities in the Nunavut and the Northwest Territories ridings to get a look at the men and women asking for their vote.

"The new campaign laws mean that airlines can no longer donate tickets to candidates, even thought they've done it for all candidates in the past," said Jack Hicks, an agent for Nunavut NDP candidate Amanda Ford-Rogers.

From the sound of it, all parties agree that the reduced capacity for travel in the North is a significant problem. Hopefully whoever wins the Northern vote this time out will be able to get Parliament as a whole to ensure that campaign finance rules don't harm representative democracy in areas where the normal costs don't apply.