PM in fundraising scandal? No, just business as usual

The wealthy and powerful have better access to politicians in any number of ways,

For the life of me, I just can’t wrap my head around the cash-for-access scandal that the federal Liberal government is currently embroiled in. I mean, I get it. But what I don’t see is how the so-called scandal is anything other than business as usual in this country.

If you’ve missed the alarm bells ringing through the headlines recently, let me recap:

It seems that business executives pay to attend Liberal party fundraisers where the prime minister is present. And its very possible they’ve been whispering in his ears over the course of these soirees.

There’s no actual proof of any ear bending. But it’s safe to say that a bunch of executives who’ve paid to be in the same room as the PM aren’t wasting a lot of time chatting about the cold snap we’ve been having.

While no one wants to give the privileged more access to power than the rest of us, you’d have to be incredibly naive to believe this isn’t happening every day at every level of government.

The rich and powerful can afford to go to Ottawa, visit their MP or a cabinet minister, have lunch or dinner with politicians, hire lobbyists — all things that are beyond the reach of the vast majority of Canadians. It may not be the best part of our political system, but it is a reality.

Privileged access to the prime minister is certainly unfair to the average citizen who can’t afford the $1,500-a-head entry price to these parties, and still might want to have a word or two with Justin Trudeau.

Of course the opposition has jumped right on this, because that’s what they do: They oppose. But I’m especially concerned about our ethics commissioner, Mary Dawson, who announced that she was going to question the prime

It’s no secret who is talking to the prime minister. This makes the Liberal fundraising parties unusually transparent.

minister about the fundraising parties to see whether he breached the Conflict of Interest Act.

If a mere $1, 500 can buy you a pipeline, or twist a bill in your favour or get you anything more than a new laptop, we’re in some very serious trouble. The wise thing to do right now would be stop worrying about the way the powerful network, and focus our energies on gathering supplies and scoping out isolated cabins in hills.

There’s a guest list for these parties. It’s no secret who is talking to the prime minister. This makes the Liberal fundraising parties unusually transparent.

In fact, to be fair, MPs, senators, judges and everyone else who holds a position of power in our society should be questioned about their social activities, about just who is and who isn’t a member of their private golf clubs, health clubs and tennis clubs.

And who, exactly, goes to the symphonies and galas they attend? Or the expensive restaurants they eat at, or the functions at the exclusive schools their children attend?

Ideally, we should make sure that not one ounce of lobbying occurs in any of the places that the average citizen is excluded from, and that wealthy people frequent so they can network, make business deals and meet the people who can influence government policies.

Maybe we should insist that our prime minister and his family go to public swimming pools in the summer, or sit in the cheap seats at the hockey game, so that everything that goes on behind the scenes is clear and transparent, like it should be.

Except that sounds totally crazy. It would be like saying we should turn the entire structure of our society, which routinely segregates the haves from the have-nots, upside down. Just as crazy, I guess, as thinking any old former snowboarding instructor and grade school teacher has a shot at being the PM, or pretending that Liberal fundraising parties are somehow different than all the other spaces and opportunities that only the wealthy have access to.