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January 28, 2017

Conservatives blast Trudeau’s ‘obvious ethical missteps’ despite promised fundraising legislation

QUEBEC CITY — The Trudeau government’s new rules to expose — but not eliminate — so-called cash-for-access fundraisers are a smokescreen to cover their ethical missteps, Conservatives say.

At their caucus in Quebec City, critics and leadership candidates reacted to news Friday that the Trudeau government will introduce legislation to establish new fundraising rules, in the wake of scandals over $1,500-a-seat private fundraisers where businesspeople and lobbyists had access to the prime minister and cabinet ministers.

A government source confirmed to the National Post that legislation will require party fundraisers to be conducted in public spaces rather than private venues, be publicly advertised in advance and reported on afterwards.

Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose said the government she was a part of never had this kind of problem. “It’s already in the rules” not to sell influence, she said. “I don’t know what this (legislation) is about other than a smokescreen for unethical behaviour.”

Ethics guidelines adopted by the Trudeau government mandate that people who donate to political parties or politicians should not even have the “appearance of preferential access.” The prime minister acknowledged in December guests do talk to him about issues they care about, but insisted these interactions don’t affect the way he governs.

“You shouldn’t have to use the resources of government, as prime minister or cabinet minister, use that as a tool to extract as much money as you can out of people with interests with government. And that’s what they’re doing,” said Conservative ethics critic Blaine Calkins.

“We’ll take a look at (the legislation). But really, nothing really has changed here .… It’s just as unsavoury as it was before.”

THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

Finance critic Gerard Deltell said Liberals only seem to act when they notice their hand is in the cookie jar. “It’s another clear indication that this government doesn’t care about Canadians’ concerns,” he said.

Ontario MP and leadership candidate Lisa Raitt labelled Trudeau’s participation in private fundraisers “obvious ethical missteps.”

“Now he’s bringing in legislation to prevent himself from breaking his own rules again? It doesn’t make any sense,” she said. “The rules were fine. We abided by them in government.”

Rules would apply to fundraising undertaken by government ministers, political party leaders and leadership candidates. But candidate Andrew Scheer argued the issue of who to extend rules to is a distraction. “The problem isn’t with leadership candidates. The problem isn’t with opposition leaders. The problem is with ministers who have control over government raising big dollars from stakeholders.”

Maxime Bernier noted Trudeau is under investigation by the ethics commissioner, who launched a probe earlier this month after the National Post reported the prime minister had accepted private helicopter rides and a stay on a private island owned by the Aga Khan.

The race’s newest candidate, Kevin O’Leary — who was not at the caucus meetings in Quebec City since he is not a member of parliament — said he doesn’t take Trudeau’s motivations seriously.

“He ran on being an honest and transparent prime minister, but his behaviour is different from what he campaigned on,” O’Leary said, adding Trudeau should “do something” about “the questionable dealings of the Trudeau Foundation.”

The nonprofit foundation, to which the prime minister retains no formal ties, is named after the prime minister’s father and has had a long history of co-operation with the Trudeau family.

Email: mdsmith@postmedia.com | Twitter: mariedanielles

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