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The issue first arose in British Columbia and Ontario, where political contributions until now have been all but unregulated. Lately it has spread to federal politics, with news that Liberal cabinet ministers have been the guests of honour at ritzy private fundraisers. The numbers, to be sure, are smaller at the federal level, where corporate donations are banned and individual contributions capped at $1,500.

But the principle remains the same. Whether money changes minds as easily as it changes hands or not, it’s a chance to press their case that isn’t open to those without that sort of dough. If it isn’t influence peddling, it looks enough like it to leave people wondering.

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Such has been the uproar over to pay-to-play that people have started putting forward some quite radical solutions. The Wynne government in Ontario, until months ago an enthusiastic advocate of the practice, now proposes to ban not just ministers, but all members of the legislature from attending fundraisers.

Some would go even further: banning private money altogether, and funding parties entirely from the public purse; or banning television advertising, as they do in Britain. My own proposals will therefore seem moderate by comparison.

I can’t see how you could ban advertising, under the Charter: even assuming it had any effect on the parties’ insatiable demand for funds it could hardly be enough to justify such a massive incursion on free speech. Outlawing private donations might be nearer the mark, were the alternative — public funding — not so much worse.