As Premier Doug Ford moves to loosen Ontario’s campaign finance rules, the province’s top elections watchdog and political strategists from all sides of the spectrum are warning the changes could tilt the playing field, and test public trust in how politics is funded.
The government plans to raise the annual donation limit from $3,400 to $5,000 starting next year and tie future increases to inflation. Attorney General Doug Downey says the move modernizes Ontario’s political finance system, but critics say it gives an edge to parties with deep-pocketed donors, such is the case of Ford’s Progressive Conservatives.
But Greg Essensa, Ontario’s Chief Electoral Officer, is urging Queen’s Park to move in the opposite direction, toward tighter auditing rules and stronger compliance standards.