If the Liberal Party is expecting Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle to raise a quarter of a million dollars a year, Gravelle insists no one has ever told him.
The Toronto Star published an article on Tuesday citing “well-placed sources” in the Liberal Party who claimed leadership imposed annual fundraising targets on its cabinet ministers.
Hours after the story was released, Premier Kathleen Wynne announced her government will introduce a bill to reform political fundraising in the fall.
The Star article alleges the Party expects Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Gravelle to raise $250,000.
“I’m not sure on what basis that figure was brought forward,” Gravelle said.
“I try to do my part as part of a team and I do that obviously by following the rules that are in place. If the rules change, obviously that will be something I’ll be respectful of as well. In terms of a dollar figure, I don’t pay attention to that particular allocation process. It surprised me when I saw that figure.”
Gravelle has raised money for each of the six elections he’s won in the riding over the last 20 years.
He insisted not only that he has always followed the rules regarding campaign finances but that no contribution has ever resulted in unfair influence over his ministry’s policies.
In some cases, he pointed out, he doesn’t even know the identities of his campaign donors.
“Every decision I’ve made and our government has made is based on a multitude of conversations, it’s evidence based, it’s based on the best possible conversations we can have with a wide variety of people,” he said.
“The fundraising process has been in place for a long period of time and that’s the truth for all parties of all stripes. I think they’d all say the fundraising has no impact on the decisions made. Certainly, that is the case for me.”
The Star article quoted former Liberal Minister of Finance Dwight Duncan as having said the fundraising target was among his reasons for leaving politics. Gravelle said those comments also came as a surprise.
“I’ve never had that discussion with my friend Dwight Duncan. He’s very much speaking for himself but that isn’t a discussion we’ve ever had.”
