Independent MP Wayne Furbert has suggested that Bermuda look into establishing limits regarding how much money could be donated to political parties.

He was speaking on his motion that the House of Assembly discussed establishing a committee to debate political campaign financing legislation.

Mr. Furbert told the House on Friday: "We need a level playing field for electing candidates who are running for public office in Bermuda.

"Campaign finance reform is done to remove the perception of undue influence due to funds given to political parties by individuals and organisations."

He said that Bermudian politicians relied heavily on private donors to finance campaigns, which meant that historically the UBP was able to advertise more heavily because it had the backing of businesses and those with financial means.

To help promote fairness and reduce the fear of corruption, he said that other countries, such as Canada, have introduced legislation which limits the amount of money that can be donated, and force transparency by requiring candidates to reveal who has donated.

"I hope the Government takes a look at this and sees where they can allow this to take place," Mr. Furbert said.

"We must move as quickly as possible to make sure some form of campaign financing legislature is in place."

Deputy Premier Paula Cox said that the idea was useful, but too limited in scope.

"The unstated elephant in the room is how do we know if parties are for sale," she said. "If that's what we're seeking to mitigate against, we need to look outside the limits of campaign finance."

The question, she said, is how far legislation should go. "I think the UK has set the bar too low," she said. "We don't want to get bogged down in disclosing minutia."

She called the issue complex, and that debate regarding the issue was long overdue. "We've got to sit down and talk about this in the widest possible spectrum," she added.

UBP MP John Barritt agreed with Ms Cox that the motion needed to be expanded beyond dealing with just campaign financing.

"I think we need to place this in a wider context," he said. "It looks to me that we're looking at a slice of the issue we're here to tackle."

While financing plays a large part in a political campaign, Mr. Barritt said that political broadcast regulations were also important.

"You can't look at one without the other," he said. "I am quite keen to see this happen. Let's get on with it, and get on with it smartly.

"It may not be to the benefit of the PLP, it may not be to the benefit of the UBP, it may not be to the benefit of the BDA, it may not be to the benefit of the independents, but it will be to the benefit of the people," he said.

PLP backbencher Walter Lister said that for years the UBP and the PLP were unbalanced because of the financial backing that the UBP received.

BDA MP Mark Pettingill agreed that historically the UBP had a financial advantage, and suggested that Bermuda look to consider a more balanced approach.

"When we start talk about Company X donating a million dollars to Party X, I think a red flag has to go up," he said.

"Maybe we should make politics like Formula 1 racing, where everyone has the same machinery."

Minister of Health Walter Roban praised the idea of a committee, saying that arguments regarding financing often cropped up around election time.

While legislation limiting donations or campaign spending could help, he argued that no country has got the idea right yet, citing the recent controversy in the UK where Members of Parliament were caught using the public purse for their own profit.

"Does it stop corruption? No, it doesn't," he said. "We need to understand that we're aiming at a moving target. We need to look at it very carefully and cater to the Bermudian character."

UBP MP Patricia Gordon Pamplin agreed that the issue of campaign financing was only a portion of the bigger matter, saying that by making the entire system transparent, the issue of funding would fall by the wayside.

"We should be able to conduct our affairs at such a level that it doesn't matter where our finances come from," she said.