Four years ago a majority of Toronto city councillors did what many thought they would never do – cast self-interest aside in favour of democratic reforms making their re-election more difficult.
The reforms, which had been recommended by a task force examining local election finance rules, included a ban on corporate and union donations. Incumbents raising large sums – often far in excess of what they could legally spend – would be forbidden from banking these surpluses for use in future campaigns. And some costs, such as lavish campaign parties, would no longer be exempt.
There is ample evidence supporting a tightening of the rules. Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, for example, burned through more than $100,000 in the last election despite a $22,368 cap on spending in his ward. No laws were broken because most of his outlay, including almost $74,000 for a banquet, did not count as an election cost.
Most political newcomers cannot hope to raise such amounts, which makes it exceptionally difficult to defeat a municipal incumbent. A more even-handed system was the goal of reforms passed by council. But at that time it was up to Queen's Park to implement the changes.
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