Opposition leaders want Wynne to create non-partisan committee on fundraising reforms

Three opposition leaders are banding together in a bid to seize reins of Premier Kathleen Wynne’s political fundraising reforms.

Thestar.com
April 19, 2016
By Robert Benzie

The three opposition amigos banded together in a bid to seize the reins of Premier Kathleen Wynne’s political fundraising reforms.

With a rare show of unity, Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner called upon Wynne to create a new non-partisan committee to design the changes sparked by a Star exposé.

Horwath - flanked by Brown and Schreiner at a Queen’s Park press conference - wanted a nine-member “advisory panel on political finance reform and electoral participation.”

“Now it’s time for the premier to do the right thing,” the NDP leader said.

But later Tuesday, Wynne reminded the post-partisan posse that in a majority legislature there is only one sheriff in town when it comes to lawmaking.

“I’m not willing to delay the process. I’m not willing to slow it down. I’m not willing to buy into the stalling tactics of the opposition parties,” the premier said before the Liberals’ defeated Horwath’s motion 50-39.

“It’s quite remarkable that the leader of the third party is basically saying there is no democratic process that we follow in this legislature,” said Wynne, noting legislation banning corporate and union donations and making other reforms will be introduced before the house rises for the summer break June 9.

That bill will then be sent to a legislative committee with MPPs from all three parties - though a majority would be Liberal members - and hearings will be held to examine amendments.

The fine-tuned legislation would then return to the house for a vote. Because the Liberals hold 57 seats - excluding Speaker Dave Levac - in the 107-member legislature, they can determine the fate of the bill.

Horwath’s proposed panel would have consisted of one representative each from the Liberal, Conservative, New Democratic and Green parties with an additional four members representing business, labour, non-governmental organizations and academia plus a chair.

“This is an opportunity for Ontarians to be engaged,” said Horwath.

“Mr. Schreiner has stepped up to the plate, Mr. Brown has stepped up to the plate, I’ve stepped up to the plate. It’s now up to the premier to step up to the plate and do the right thing by the people of this province,” she said,

Brown noted “the rules of our democracy are not set by one political party.”

“We assume that Kathleen Wynne wants the process to have legitimacy and there’s going to be a cloud over this process if the premier doesn’t do the right thing,” he said.

“The reason we’re in this situation is the press gallery did a wonderful job of exposing how the lines were blurred in how the government was functioning. They rushed to say they were going to bring about some reform because they got caught,” he said.
Schreiner, whose party has no seats in the legislature, praised Horwath for moving forward with the initiative.

“This is an opportunity to show the public that we can do politics differently,” the Green leader said.

Wynne’s forthcoming legislative changes, which are to include a ban on corporate and union donations and lowering the cap on contributions to $1,525 from $9,975, came as a result of a Star probe into political fundraising.

The Star found Liberal cabinet ministers have secret annual party fundraising targets of up to $500,000 each.