Ontario NDP considers integrity commissioner complaint over minister fundraising

The Ontario NDP is considering a caller ailment to the province’s integrity commissioner aft the Progressive Conservative Party directed authorities ministers to clasp a bid of fundraisers successful bid to boost its coffers up of a imaginable aboriginal election.

On Monday, Global News revealed that the seat of the Ontario PC Party money sent an email addressed to “cabinet ministers” successful September asking them to ramp up fundraising towards the extremity of the year.

“We request your assistance successful organizing a minimum of 2 – 5 fundraisers each by the extremity of the year,” Tony Miele said successful the email. “These events tin beryllium tiny meal events, luncheon events oregon larger reception benignant meal events.”

The premier’s bureau insisted that the email, which was sent to chiefs of unit successful the Ford government, was sent successful mistake and that the enactment instantly sent a callback notice.

At Queen’s Park, however, the Progressive Conservatives saw their ain historical disapproval thrown backmost astatine them. Quotes from a akin controversy, erstwhile the PCs were successful opposition, were dug retired and work to the authorities benches.

In 2016, the erstwhile Liberal authorities faced a ungraded aft furniture ministers were fixed circumstantial fundraising goals, starring to claims that the Liberals were raising wealth disconnected of stakeholders who were besides vying for favorable furniture decisions.

“Everyone remembers the Liberal-era cash-for-assess authorities …conservatives had a batch to accidental astir that, astatine that time,” said NDP MPP Terrence Kernaghan.

Kernaghan past reached into the Queen’s Park archives to inquire the Ford authorities the aforesaid questions the PC Party had posed to Liberals successful 2016.

“Do they judge that it is due for a curate of the crown to rise ample sums of wealth from stakeholders bidding connected projects that are worthy hundreds of millions of dollars wherever (the minister) has the powerfulness to springiness the thumbs up oregon thumbs down,” Kernaghan asked.

Attorney General Doug Downey denied the allegations, adjacent though the premier’s bureau confirmed the email.

“We bash not person targets, we person not been fixed targets and we are not pursuing targets,” Downey said.

Downey said it “mistake” the email had ever been sent and that he, himself, had not seen it.

Other ministers, however, look to person received the memo.

According to the PC Party’s website, respective ministers are acceptable to clasp fundraising dinners successful November asking donors for anyplace betwixt $250 to $1,500 per person.

The NDP said it wants to enactment the incidental connected the integrity commissioner’s radar “to marque definite he’s aware” and said NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she would travel up to connection a ceremonial submission if the integrity commissioner suggested it was necessary.

Stiles said the email represented a “cash-for-access” scheme.

“As a furniture minister, they’re not expected to usage your connections and the powerfulness that you person arsenic leverage to fundraise,” said Stiles. “It’s basal integrity.”

Neither the Liberals nor the NDP explicitly said they would present laws to prohibition the signifier if they formed government.