Dream run ends for Canada’s governing Liberal party after reports that rich donors got privileged access to prime minister and cabinet members at events

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has become embroiled in allegations of holding cash-for-access political fundraisers in developments that could tarnish his image as a youthful reformer.

Trudeau was pressed hard by opposition leaders on Thursday about newspaper reports that select donors to the ruling Liberal party enjoyed privileged access to fundraising events where the prime minister and cabinet members spoke.

Although Trudeau denies he has done anything wrong, the affair raised questions as to whether his year-long honeymoon with voters is coming to an end.

“I think it’s already tarnished his image because you’re getting this pile-on of all these stories. He’s on the defensive in parliament and it’s going to continue,” said University of Toronto politics professor Nelson Wiseman.

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Accountability rules that Trudeau issued after taking power in November 2015 state “there should be no preferential access to government, or appearance of preferential access” for people who contribute to politicians and parties.

“Trudeau’s ethics talk has not been followed up with ethics walk by him and his ministers,” said Duff Conacher of the advocacy group Democracy Watch.

The 44-year-old prime minister is on the back foot in the House of Commons, forced to fend off daily accusations of wrongdoing.

“When will the prime minister finally admit that selling access to raise money for the Liberal party is unethical?” Rona Ambrose, interim leader of the official opposition Conservatives, asked Trudeau in Parliament.

Trudeau has repeatedly noted no rules were broken during the events which, according to the Globe and Mail newspaper, included a fundraiser where an insurance tycoon and Chinese-Canadian billionaires were among donors who heard a speech by the prime minister. Individuals can give a maximum of C$1,500 to a party every year while corporate and union donations are banned.

The last Liberal government before Trudeau’s – that of Paul Martin – was defeated in 2006 following a patronage scandal that helped keep the party out of power for almost a decade.

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“The issue of money related to politics ... is one of those things the Liberals really really want to distance themselves from,” said Darrell Bricker of Ipsos Public Affairs.

“The more time you spend talking about it – and it’s not a topic you want to talk about – the harder it is to get people to focus on the things you want them to talk about,” he said.

Liberal legislators in the House of Commons have looked uncomfortable whenever Trudeau is pressed on the matter. “We’ll have problems if people think we are playing games with the system,” said one official.

Trudeau is in no immediate danger in the polls, which put the Liberals far ahead of the two main opposition parties, who are both holding leadership races that will not end until 2017. The next election is in October 2019.

“The honeymoon is over but the opposition can’t take advantage of it. They’re headless,” said one member of the Liberal parliamentary caucus.

Reuters in Ottawa