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An interesting story appeared on p. A3 of the Carbonear Compass on Tuesday, reprinted in the Telegram and Western Star on Wednesday, in which Terry Roberts reports, in part:

Carbonear Mayor Sam Slade is defending the town’s practice of donating to the Progressive Conservative party, saying “we know how they work on our behalf.”

Slade also points out the town would support other political parties if there was a request.

“If it was a Liberal function tomorrow, and we were asked to purchase tickets, we would do the same,” Slade says.

According to the 2010 report on donations to political parties in this province, the Town of Carbonear made two separate donations to the PC party — one for $100 and a second for $150.

[...]

Past reports indicate the Town of Carbonear made a $400 donation to the party in 2009, while the Town of Harbour Grace made a $160 donation in 2009.

Only one other municipality — the Town of Badger, at $ 400 — made a donation to a political party in 2010. It, too, was to the PC party.

[...]

When asked if it was a wise and appropriate use of taxpayers’ money, Slade replied by saying the donation was a council decision.

“The town should support this. This is how council felt about it,” Slade explained.

Deputy Mayor Ches Ash said the donations were related to a June 2010 fundraising dinner hosted by the Carbonear-Harbour Grace PC district association. Ash said council unanimously approved the spending of $ 500 to purchase a table at a June 7, 2010 meeting.

He said the town approved a similar expenditure this year.

Ash said the decision to purchase the tickets was made at a public meeting, with the funds coming from the town’s promotions and marketing budget.

“We saw that as a legitimate expense within that budget. In doing that, council makes every effort to spend our money in a responsible way … and we didn’t see that as being unreasonable,” Ash said.

Here's the minute of the 2010 donation:

And the minute of the one which shows up in the 2009 disclosure:

The third donation, referred to in Roberts' report as having been approved earlier this year, does not yet seem to show up in the town council's minutes.