Eight Ontario cabinet ministers' election finance statements are more than a month overdue

More than two dozen Ontario PC MPPs — including eight cabinet ministers — haven't filed campaign finance disclosures from last June's election more than a month after the due date, Elections Ontario data shows.

Financial statements were due on Dec. 2. The statements must be filed whether or not the candidates raised any money directly, Elections Ontario confirmed. (Some candidates fund their campaigns from central party funds, but the amounts received and spent must still be reported.)

Broadening the question to look at all candidates, successful and unsuccessful, the PCs have the lowest reporting rate, with 43 candidates yet to report. The Liberals have 25, the NDP 26 and the Greens just five.

"It is surprising," said retired York University political science professor Robert MacDermid. "A third of the caucus has flouted the rules, which is pretty astounding. And for cabinet ministers to be flouting the rules is impressive."

At this point in the 2018 reporting cycle, only 18 PCs hadn't filed their statements (along with 21 Liberals, 42 New Democrats and 13 Greens).

MacDermid pointed out there is no fine for filing statements late, or not at all.

"There's no administrative penalty. In the (Election Finances) Act, there is a list of administrative penalties, but it doesn't cover filing."

The gaps in the data include a number of interesting races. For example, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo defeated then-Liberal leader Steven Del Duca in a much-watched contest in Vaughan-Woodbridge.

Del Duca's campaign has released its financial information, but as of Tuesday, Tibollo has not. Tibollo's office has not responded to a request for comment.

MacDermid said he expects the disclosures to be filed eventually but filing late may be a way of avoiding attention: "There could be an incentive to file late to avoid the revelations that are contained in there — the information that might be obvious about contributions or contributors."

QP Briefing contacted the eight cabinet ministers whose reports are overdue.

Minister for Seniors and Accessibility Raymond Cho and Solicitor General Michael Kerzner, and the campaigns for Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark and Associate Minister of Transportation Stan Cho, each separately wrote that “we are working diligently with Elections Ontario to file our campaign expense reports and expect to have all required documentation to them in short order.”

MacDermid called the situation "anti-democratic."

"It’s alarming, dispiriting and disappointing that these rules are not being followed," he said.

"They are there to disclose information that the act says that citizens should have about the candidates they elect, and the parties are not complying with it. They need to comply with it because it's a hugely important issue."

Graphics reflect data downloaded from Elections Ontario on Jan. 3.