Waiting For The Weaseling......

City bans corporate donations

December 2, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Toronto council votes to eliminate corp and union contributions
In 2010 election, candidates can raise funds from individuals only

By Kris Scheuer
Tonight Toronto City Council voted 29-12 to ban corporate and union donations from all campaigns in next year’s municipal election.
So in order for any candidate, incumbent or challenger, to fund their campaign it will have to be 100 percent from individuals.
This has been debated since at least 2001 as Councillor Michael Walker has been pushing for election finance reforms for eight years now. And Councillor Cliff Jenkins has also been leading the charge since he was elected in 2003.
Mayor David Miller voluntarily raised over $1 million in his 2006 campaign through individuals only and also lead the charge on banning corp and union election funding.
This was the city’s last chance to make these reforms so they are in place in time for next year’s election as candidates can start registering and raising funds as early as Jan. 4.
I will be writing a story on this tomorrow for the Town Crier. So please check back for the full scoop then…
In the meantime, here’s how each councillor voted.

Voted yes

Ainslie, Ashton, Bussin, Carroll, Cho, Davis, De Baeremaeker, Filion, Fletcher, Ford, Giambrone, Heaps, Holyday, Jenkins, Lee, McConnell, Mihevc, Milczyn, Miller, Moeser, Nunziata, Palacio, Pantalone, Perks, Saundercook, Stintz, Thompson, Vaughan and Walker.

NO Augimeri NO Del Grande NO Di Giorgio NO Hall NO Kelly NO Lindsay Luby NO Mammoliti NO Minnan-Wong NO Moscoe NO Ootes NO Parker NO Perruzza