NDP wants to ban Liberal cash-for-access fundraisers

OTTAWA – New Democrat Ethics critic Alexandre Boulerice tabled his bill to ban preferential access to ministers and the prime minister at private fundraising events. The bill would give the ethics commissioner greater authority and latitude to investigate these activities.

“We expect the Liberals to support their own ethics guidelines and vote in favour of this bill,” said Boulerice. “I want to do what the Prime Minister should have done in the first place: turn the ethics guidelines promised in his Open and Accountable Government into law.”

The NDP bill is more necessary than ever as the government is now trying to normalize private fundraising events by making them public. In an effort to get himself out of hot water, the Prime Minister asked his new Minister for Democratic Institutions to draft legislation that would require cabinet ministers, party leaders and leadership candidates to publicly advertise their private fundraisers.

“Making their VIP fundraising events public will do nothing to prevent the wealthiest members of our society from buying access to the prime minister and his ministers,” said Boulerice. “My bill would curb this unfair practice.”