Greens call for ban on private political party fundraisers..

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Green Party of Canada calls for ban on private political party fundraisers with cabinet ministers

[ http://www.greenparty.ca/en/media-relea ... rs-cabinet ]

April 06, 2016

(OTTAWA) - The Green Party of Canada is calling for stricter limits on party fundraising by government ministers following reports that the federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Jody Wilson-Raybould, is being hosted by Torys LLP, a Bay Street law firm, at a $500-a-head, private reception.

According to the CBC, the money raised at the reception will go into the coffers of the Liberal Party of Canada. The reception was not advertised publicly, nor could mention of it be found by searching the Liberal Party of Canada website.

"Direct access to Canada’s justice minister can be advantageous to a law firm," said Dimitri Lascaris, Green Party Justice Critic. "For example, the Government of Canada frequently retains private law firms for potentially lucrative assignments. In addition, some lawyers at a law firm may desire appointment to the bench. While there is no indication these conflicts will arise at Ms. Wilson-Raybould's fundraiser, at a price of $500 per head, many Canadians could never afford to attend an event such as this. This places the well-heeled at a considerable advantage to average Canadians. The fact that this event was not declared publicly only increases the risk of special and unfair access to the Minister of Justice.”

The Green Party of Canada joins with the NDP in calling for the cancellation of this event. If the event does go ahead, the Green Party calls on the Minister to donate all proceeds to charity rather than direct them to Liberal coffers.

"We further call on the Liberal government to establish strict limits on fundraising activities by members of its cabinet," Mr. Lascaris said. "In particular, cabinet members should be prohibited from participating, other than during elections, in private fundraising events. This will help to ensure that Canadians have equal access to members of the cabinet, and that wealthier members of society do not enjoy privileged access to those who are at the core of government decision-making." -30-

For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:

Dan Palmer
Press Secretary | Attaché de presse
Green Party of Canada | Parti vert du Canada
dan.palmer@greenparty.ca
mobile: (613) 614-4916

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Trudeau shrugs off law firm's private fundraiser featuring attorney general

[ http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/trudeau- ... -1.2847916 ]

Bruce Cheadle, The Canadian Press Published Wednesday, April 6, 2016 12:59PM EDT Last Updated Wednesday, April 6, 2016 6:46PM EDT

OTTAWA -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is shrugging off concerns about his attorney general attending a private Liberal party fundraiser this week held at a Bay Street law firm that's registered to lobby her.

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould is the star attraction at Thursday night's $500-a-head, invitation-only soiree at the Torys LLP firm in downtown Toronto.

"Please join us for a private evening in support of the Liberal Party of Canada with the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould," says the invitation, a link for which is buried on the Liberal party web site but not searchable for the general public.

Lobbyist registry records show that at least one Torys LLP lawyer is actively registered to lobby Wilson-Raybould on the issue of corporate and mutual fund tax law.

A spokesman for the Liberal party said the event is being "hosted personally by Mitch Frazer, a partner at Torys LLP, not by Torys itself," and that no Torys lawyers registered to lobby the minister will be in attendance.

Braeden Caley added in an email to The Canadian Press that federal conflict of interest and ethics commissioner Mary Dawson cleared Wilson-Raybould's participation in advance.

"As one would expect, all MPs have a role to play in attending events for their political party and the commissioner's office recognized that fundraising is an important part of all MPs' political engagement," Caley wrote.

The ethics commissioner's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Federal conflict-of-interest rules forbid cabinet ministers from soliciting funds from anyone who has lobbied or is likely to lobby the minister's department.

The optics and timing of the Toronto event are problematic for Trudeau's Liberals.

"When the attorney general has a fundraiser for the Liberal party at one of the top law firms in Canada, it blurs the lines between what is Liberal party business and what is government business," Conservative MP John Brassard said in an email.

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Liberals themselves once took a dim view of such potential conflicts -- when they were in opposition.

"This kind of event clearly crosses the line," Ralph Goodale, the party's deputy leader at the time, said in January 2014 when it was revealed Conservative heritage minister Shelley Glover attended a Winnipeg fundraiser that included stakeholders from the arts community.

"It is improper, and quite frankly the donation should be paid back."

Glover ended up not accepting the donations.

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