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For all of Wynne’s moralizing on other matters — including the recent introduction of beer in grocery stores — she did not say a thing about running the political equivalent of an escort service, until recent revelations forced her hand.

And while most of the mud is flying Wynne’s way, the Ontario Liberals aren’t the only paid dates in town. Last month, the Alberta Wildrose Party asked the provincial ethics commissioner to investigate Alberta Premier Rachel Notley’s participation in a private, $9,975-per-plate Toronto fundraiser that benefited the Ontario NDP. The event at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel was attended by 20 members of the Ontario business and labour communities and promoted the Alberta premier as a featured guest. As for the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, their leader, Patrick Brown, stated that, “I have long argued that we need to clean up political party fundraising in Ontario, and I stand by that,” but the PCs also rely heavily on corporate support for their campaigns.

In Ottawa and Quebec, pay-for-play no longer exists. The federal rules were changed to ban donations from companies and unions, and limit individual donations to $1,525 to each party, plus $1,525 to all the registered associations and candidates of each party. In Quebec, individuals are limited to contributions of $100 a year and an additional $100 in an election year.

Yet in Ontario, corporations and unions can still donate up to $9,975 to political parties every year, plus an additional $9,975 during an election period and $6,650 to constituency associations of any one party. They can also contribute $6,650 to candidates of any one party, but no more than $1,330 to a single candidate. As for leadership campaigns, the sky’s the limit.