Bittersweet victory for getting big money out of Queen’s Park

“Congrats to Ontario – we made a significant step forward in getting big money out of politics today.

Ending corporate and union donations, lowering donation limits and closing loopholes are a step in the right direction. These are ideas the GPO has advocated for years.

I’m happy the final bill contained many of the ideas that I presented to the Premier and the standing committee on behalf of GPO members.

It’s encouraging that the government followed our recommendations to move from a pay-to-play fundraising model to a vote-to-play system. Although Ontario still has a ways to go, this bill begins to level the playing field for citizens.

But the bill does not go far enough. Under this bill, wealthy donors can still contribute $3,600 per year to a party and its associations. This is much more than the average citizen can afford to donate. Donation limits should be lower.

I want to thank the thousands of people who answered the Green Party’s call to reform fundraising laws by writing the Premier to demand change.

Greens will take a moment to celebrate the role we played in this historic legislation. But we will also continue to push for changes that truly get big money out of politics by lowering donation limits to a level that is fair for all citizens.”