According to an article in today’s Toronto Star, city councillors have decided they will no longer accept campaign donations from corporations or unions, putting pressure on the provincial government to ban the practice in all municipalities across Ontario (City clamps down on election donors, Paul Mulroney and Vanessa Lu, Toronto Star, Dec 3, 2009).
The vote was passed 29 – 12 following a day-long debate. Council also voted 27-13 to study the feasibility of providing some city funding for campaigns. Robert MacDermid a York University professor and advocate for election reform told reporters. "...It's the first step to get rid of this kind of influence. It's about removing the unfairness and discrimination that's involved in the system…"
Some Toronto councillors now want to lobby Ontario Municipal Affairs Minister Jim Watson to push for a similar ban across the province, by changing the Municipal Elections Act.
This is a step in the right direction. One wonders whether Ottawa City councillors have the ethical foresight to follow Toronto’s lead here.
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