Liberal reforms would ban MPPs from attending political fundraisers
Provincial riding associations would also receive public funding under amendments tabled Wednesday.

thestar.com
By Robert Benzie
Oct. 26, 2016

Provincial riding associations will receive public money for campaigns and MPPs and candidates will be banned from attending political fundraisers under reforms triggered by a Star series.

Government House Leader Yasir Naqvi on Wednesday tabled amendments to the campaign finance legislation, which will also publicly bankroll political parties based on their vote tallies.

“Our government wants to change the way that money is raised in politics,” said Naqvi, who is also attorney general.

“By making our election financing rules more modern and transparent, we are helping to build the public’s faith in the representatives they elect, and strengthening our democracy,” the minister said.

Under the latest changes, registered constituency associations for parties that received at least 2 per cent of the vote in the most recent election would each divide $25,000 per year based on the ballots their candidates received.

With 122 ridings up for grabs in the June 7, 2018, election, that means it will cost an additional $3 million annually.

That’s atop the annual $2.71-per-vote subsidy the major political parties will receive beginning next year.

Under that formula - based on the results of the 2014 election - the Liberals, with 1,863,974 votes, would get $5.06 million annually, the Progressive Conservatives, with 1,508,811 votes, $4.09 million, the NDP, with 1,144,822 votes, $3.1 million, and the Green Party of Ontario, with 232,536 votes, $630,000.

The public money is designed to help parties and riding associations deal with the fallout of annual contribution limits being cut to $1,200 a person - down from the current $9,975 - and the outright ban on union and corporate donations.

Naqvi is also proposing that all “MPPs, candidates, party leaders, nomination contestant and leadership contestants” would be prohibited from attending political fundraising events.

“This restriction would not apply to non-fundraising events or events where tickets are sold only to cover the cost of the event. It would also not impact funds raised by other means (such as) by phone or email,” the government said in a news release.

The new law also limits so-called third-party advertising, mostly in the form of union-funded organizations such as the Working Families coalition that has helped the Liberals by targeting the Progressive Conservatives in attack ads since 2003.

Under the forthcoming rules, third-party groups would be limited to $100,000 in advertising during elections and $600,000 in the six preceding months. There would be a $1-million spending limit during that period for political parties.

The legislation was sparked last March by a series of Star stories that disclosed cabinet ministers had secret annual fundraising targets for the Ontario Liberal Party of up to $500,000 apiece.

Days after that revelation, Premier Kathleen Wynne moved to revamp Ontario’s lax laws.

Progressive Conservative MPP Randy Hillier (Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington) expressed concern that because political staffers - such as chiefs of staff - would still be allowed to attend fundraisers, Ontario could return to the era of the “bagman.”

“There are still huge loopholes,” said Hillier, who wants to see a code of conduct for MPPs included in the legislation that would be overseen by the province’s integrity commissioner.

“I’m worried that this (legislation) will drive things underground.”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said she’s hoping that there will be “real transparency” in the reforms when the legislation comes up for third and final reading next month.

“I don’t know that the new amendments are going to create that,” said Horwath, noting “fundraising by phone” could still be allowed.

“Where’s the checks and balances there?”