PM attends first party fundraiser since new law
Attendees pay $250 to hear speech at ‘transparent’ event
MONTREAL— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a quick speech lauding his government’s new policy on how the Liberals raise money during his first fundraiser since the party put the new rules in place.
Attendees paid up to $250 to hear the prime minister speak for 10 minutes and get a photo with him in a lobby of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
To fend off accusations the party was providing preferential access to Trudeau and his cabinet in exchange for dollars from wealthy donors in private homes, the party introduced a new policy it says makes raising cash more transparent.
“I am very happy to see members of the press this evening,” Trudeau said early in his remarks, which drew subdued applause from the 300-person crowd. “We are very happy to see ( journalists) among us and thank you very much for being here,” he said, looking at reporters and raising his hands to give a conspicuous, single clap.
The new system involves holding fundraisers featuring Trudeau or ministers only in public places, announcing them in advance, allowing the media to attend and disclosing the guest list within 45 days.
Thursday’s event in Montreal was not the first of its kind under the new rules. Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr attended a fundraiser in Calgary at the end of April.
“We are the first to adopt this practice,” Trudeau said, adding “we hope the other parties will quickly do the same thing in the spirit of openness and trust with Canadians.”
Roughly 30 minutes before he took the stage, the Conservative party did some fundraising of its own.
In an email sent to supporters, Stephen McCreary, director of digital operations for the party, said “the Liberals’ cash-for-access fundraising scheme is back.”
“They’ll say their fundraisers are open to the ‘public,’ but the cost of admission ranges from $250 to $1,500 a head — just like before.”
The email also boasted the party collected almost twice as much money as the Liberals have in the first three months of the year.
There were registered lobbyists who signed up and paid to attend Thursday’s fundraiser, but the Liberal party said they were removed from the guest list.