Canada's Justin Trudeau in cash for access scandal

[Bathory]

What about this makes him a slimeball, though? I'm not seeing what about this is remotely suspect. He's not giving them access to any aspect of government, they're literally just getting seats at events where he speaks at.

Unless someone can establish that there's something untoward going on as a result of those donors getting guaranteed seating at those events, this is a complete and total non-story.

This. Sounds like a non issue. If things change, sure I'll call him out on it. But right now? Na.

[dd614]

The Premier of BC was doing this too, I have no idea how its not considered corruption.

When a Liberal does it, it's not corruption.

[W1sp]

When a Liberal does it, it's not corruption.

Its the political version of not being able to be a racist if you are black :P

[Northy]

The corrupt apple can be found on many different trees, for what it's worth. It is particularly amusing when it's this guy though, as he tried to play the Moralist of the Current Year(tm) schtick. Hopefully he burns from this.

Are you saying Justin cannot accept money from very wealthy people to have a sit down with them in *current year*?

Good riddance, goddamn virtue signaler. Regressives like him never prove to actually be thoughtful, reasonable, or contemplative. Read a darn philosophy or history book once in a while to get your wacky ideology in order.

[Endus]

At the very least, the optics are hella sketchy.

So from the OP's story:
"Accountability rules that Trudeau issued after taking power in November 2015 state “there should be no preferential access to government, or appearance of preferential access” for people who contribute to politicians and parties."

And neither the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation nor the University of Montreal Faculty of Law are a politician nor a political party.

It's two unrelated donations and only one of the two has even a cursory connection to Justin Trudeau, and that connection is just that the charity is named for his father; Justin has no part of running the Foundation.

Now follow it up between that story and:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle32971362/

This isn't a "hey let's go listen to the PM speak at a lecture hall and then go home". This is paying $1,500 to the Liberal party to get the Prime Minister to come to your house with 32 other people and have a private talk with him.

Didn't read your own link?

"There is no evidence Mr. Zhang paid to attend the fundraiser,"

If you don't want to read the link, here's one important piece: "The fundraiser also appears to violate Liberal Party guidelines that require party officials to ban anyone from attending a fundraiser if they have direct business interests before the government."

Asked and answered; that's the journalist's assessment, and as I went over above, it really doesn't hold water.

[Hotmail]

The Guardian is basically Breitbart these days so we can trust them to misrepresent facts to the max.

Regardless of what may or may not have happened, we elect politicians to manage our money. I'm sure that Trudeau has a plan in mind so we'll just have to see how it pans out.

[Heladys]

Clinton foundation 2.0

So, bullshit spun by the idiots in the right-wing noise factories?

[Zelk]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...raising-claims

So it seems that Justin has been accepting money from very wealthy people to have a sit down with them. I guess the corrupt apple doesn't fall far from the socialist tree.

The fuck does this have to do with socialism? Nothing, that's what.

[Krastyn]

And neither the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation nor the University of Montreal Faculty of Law are a politician nor a political party.

It's two unrelated donations and only one of the two has even a cursory connection to Justin Trudeau, and that connection is just that the charity is named for his father; Justin has no part of running the Foundation.

Glossing over the fact the event was pay-for-play.

Didn't read your own link?

"There is no evidence Mr. Zhang paid to attend the fundraiser,"

He just happened to be at a private event.

Asked and answered; that's the journalist's assessment, and as I went over above, it really doesn't hold water.

Please reread the story. Or I'll simply quote it again here for you:
"At the time, Mr. Xian, president of Toronto-based Shenglin Financial Group Inc., was waiting for final approval from federal bank regulators for his Schedule 1 bank to start business in Canada. Schedule 1 banks are domestic, not foreign, and authorized to accept deposits in Canada."

Not talking about Zhang Bin. Talking about Shenglin Xian.

So yes, it holds water.

[Cthulhu 2020]

It's funny that the OP is bashing socialism, since this kind of thing happens in spades with major ultra-capitalist leaders.

If Trump was a super hero he'd be pay-to-play man.

[Edge-]

At the very least, the optics are hella sketchy.

At the very worst, based on all the information I've read on this, there is only the appearance of possible impropriety. Literally nothing beyond, "Well, there may, potentially, possibly, be something going on. But who knows!" is it so far.

My views are likely highly skewed by all the actual impropriety and bullshit going on in the US, and how this election has dramatically changed what is viewed as a "scandal" or "controversy", so by comparison something like this looks pedestrian to the extreme.

[Krastyn]

The Guardian is basically Breitbart these days so we can trust them to misrepresent facts to the max.

Regardless of what may or may not have happened, we elect politicians to manage our money. I'm sure that Trudeau has a plan in mind so we'll just have to see how it pans out.

If you don't like The Guardian, how about:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle33318061/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trud...sing-1.3892600
http://news.nationalpost.com/full-co...al-fundraisers

[W1sp]

The fuck does this have to do with socialism? Nothing, that's what.

He is one of the frontrunners of the twisted leftist movement and is finally showing his true colours.

[Krastyn]

At the very worst, based on all the information I've read on this, there is only the appearance of possible impropriety. Literally nothing beyond, "Well, there may, potentially, possibly, be something going on. But who knows!" is it so far.

My views are likely highly skewed by all the actual impropriety and bullshit going on in the US, and how this election has dramatically changed what is viewed as a "scandal" or "controversy", so by comparison something like this looks pedestrian to the extreme.

What about the fact it's a violation of their own policies?

[Gohzerlock]

Trudeau is a very smart hypocrite for other reasons, but this just sounds like a politician taking a payday. Nothing new here unfortunately. A lot of what he seems to do comes down to making money for himself and his close party members. But hey the guy is still better than Harper.

[Sam the Wiser]

Lol, Canadians out in full defense tonight.

[Rennadrel]

Par for the course for the Lie-berals of Canada. It's amazing how shit the party has become the last 20 years at every level of government. You have an idiotic douchecanoe for a PM, a retarded assclown running the largest province in Canada in Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, who's scandals list is longer than the 3 previous Liberal prime ministers who came before her combined.

[Kazgrin]

Not really anything new...
Government officials have been accepting money from lobbyists for years, it's awful, but not new.

[Edge-]

What about the fact it's a violation of their own policies?

It's not in violation of Trudeau's policy, as there was no political donation, given that Xian did not pay the $1,500 entree fee. Unless you can point to money elsewhere and another meeting (or tie that money to this meeting).

With regards to the Liberal Party guidelines, it does appear to violate those, and they deserve to be rapped on the knuckles over it. But calling this a scandal, as OP did, is pretty funny.

[monkmastaeq]

Sounds very scummy , of course these donations allow access.