Tories consider ending public funding to political parties?

This story suggests that Flaherty is considering ending the public subsidies parties receive each year from the taxpayers. I wonder how the opposition parties are going to deal with this. Perhaps a game of political chicken?

Such a move would have considerable impacts on Canadian politics for the next few years.

1. It means the end of the BQ. The Bloc is highly dependent on public funding to run its operation. One could even argue that without those funds, they may not have been able to survive the last election. You see, fundraising is very much contingent on a party's popularity. For the last two years, the Bloc's popularity has down - that is until Harper started talking arts cuts. With such poor polling numbers, the party needed the funding from taxpayers. Cut the subsidies. Cut the Bloc. Win for the NDP and Tories in Quebec.

2. The ditch the Liberals are currently in with fundraising will become a canyon. The only thing keeping the Liberals solvent right now is the public funding. Take that away and we won't be seeing an election for another four years. Why? The party won't be able to afford it.

3. The NDP won't spend the max again. During the last election, for the first time in its history, the NDP spent the maximum allowable amount for its national campaign. It was a risk surely, but one based on the premise that the party would receive subsidies from taxpayers for the next two or three years. Taking away taxpayers' money and keeping union contributions illegal is a potent cocktail for the New Democrats.

What does this mean?

Potentially, the Conservatives will be the only party able to afford to go all out during the next election. Add to that the possibility that once they win their majority, they will eliminate spending limits during the election period.

Unlimited Conservative spending may be coming.