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Not everything contained in the new Conservative government's recently introduced Accountability Act will make government more accountable.

For instance, the part of the act that would further limit the amount of money individuals can contribute to political parties won't make government better or honest. If anything, these limits will trample on individual rights and, ultimately, undermine our democratic system.

The Liberals didn't understand this either. A few years ago they passed a law making it illegal for individuals to contribute more than $5,000 to a political party. Now the Conservatives want to lower that amount even further to just $1,000.

Now I understand why the government is making this move and why many Canadians who want better government might support it. The argument goes something like this: Limiting political contributions will prevent the "rich" from buying candidates or political parties and this, in turn, will help make government cleaner.

But will it?

Let's face it, as long as elected politicians exercise power there will be those who will want to influence them, whether contribution limits are in place or not.

In fact, all contribution limits will do is cause the influence seekers to use other means to get their way, either through more intensive lobbying or through outright bribes.

Ironically then, contribution limits could lead to more corruption, not less.

Besides, there's no evidence to suggest a politician will base his decisions or policies simply on the basis of someone giving him a big donation.

Other factors - ideology, public opinion, party agendas - also come into play when determining how politicians or their party act once in power. And, ultimately, politicians still have to justify their records to the public when an election comes around.

All these factors limit the ability of big contributors to unduly influence elected representatives.

There is also an important principle at stake here.

What right does the government have to tell me who I can give my own money to? It's my property. If I want to donate $10,000 to the Liberals or the NDP shouldn't that be my right?

What's more, contributing money to a political party is also a form of political expression and any attempt to limit that expression is undemocratic and could possibly violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Then there are the more practical concerns.

For instance, contribution limits unfairly help incumbent parties. This is especially true in Canada's case, where the governing Conservative Party already has a large network of grassroots supporters who contribute less than $1,000.

The Liberal Party, by contrast, traditionally has relied on fewer and larger donations.

Don't care about the Liberals?

Well here is something else to consider: Contribution limits will make it exceedingly difficult for new parties to emerge.

Typically newer parties lack the infrastructure and expertise needed to raise small donations from large groups of people. To get started, they would out of necessity require a few large donations.

But the contribution limits make that impossible.

And as long as strict contribution limits are in place, politicians will use them to justify another undemocratic practice: using public funds to subsidize political parties.

Right now, the major political parties get an annual public subsidy - worth millions of dollars - based on the number of votes they won in the previous election.

It basically amounts to a welfare plan for politicians. And it's wrong. No one should be forced to subsidize a political party through his or her taxes.

Yet politicians will argue the contribution limits will force them to rely on these type of public handouts.

Finally, there is one last reason contribution limits are a bad idea.

Sooner or later some politician will say we need similar limits on how much money Canadians can contribute to independent advocacy groups. This, of course, will be done in the interest of creating a "level playing field."

Keep in mind these types of organizations already face strict laws on how much money they can spend on election advertising, so any new laws limiting how much money they can raise would further cripple their ability to participate in the democratic process.

And that's bad for democracy.

For all these reasons Prime Minister Stephen Harper should rethink his plan to limit political contributions. Either he should raise the limit or, preferably, scrap it altogether.

Mr. Harper certainly has a mandate to bring about change.

But the changes should help democracy, not hinder it.

Gerry Nicholls is vice-president of the National Citizens Coalition.