Opposition leaders say political donors bought $1,500 tickets to meet Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a cash-for-access fundraiser in Quebec, but the Liberals insist they haven’t broken any rules.
“Mr. Speaker, it’s great to see the prime minister, really,” interim NDP leader Tom Mulcair said during question period on Wednesday. “I feel kind of lucky because I didn’t have to pay $1,500 to get in here.”
For the NDP and the Conservatives, the ongoing Liberal fundraiser controversy is a gift that keeps on giving.
“The prime minister either understands that this is unethical and potentially illegal, or he is just willfully breaking the rules,” Conservative opposition leader Rona Ambrose added on Wednesday. “Which is it?”
At issue is yet another $1,500-per-person fundraising event, this one featuring the prime minister. This one occurred in Montreal on September 14 at the Westmount home of a former Liberal senator.
Sylvia Leduc, a long-time Liberal volunteer and entrepreneur, was invited along with other Liberal donors. But Leduc declined. The $1,500 price tag was too steep, she told 鶹ý -- even though she’d get half that money back with her tax return.
“I think it's a practice that needs to be monitored closely,” Leduc said. “I'm not naïve enough to think that politicians are perfect, by no means.”
The email inviting Liberal donors to the event stated that it would be an opportunity to “begin to form relationships and open dialogs (sic) with our government… Its (sic) going to be a great night as well as (a) wonderful networking opportunity for everyone.”
The opposition claims that cabinet ministers, and the prime minister, are actually conducting government business at such events, which runs counter to Trudeau’s promises and government policy.
But the Liberals say they’re closely following the rules, and the ethics commissioner has said no conflict-of-interest rules have been broken.
“I know, Mr. Speaker, that there are a lot of questions about these issues,” Trudeau retorted on Wednesday. “But that’s why it makes me happy to reassure Canadians that indeed we have among the strongest political financing rules in the country.”
Polls show the controversy isn’t hurting the Liberals -- at least so far.
“When some crass and direct connection is made to a decision of government to somebody who paid access to get to a fundraiser, that would be very, very damaging,” political consultant Barry McLoughlin told 鶹ý.
With files from Ottawa Bureau Chief Joyce Napier