I would not disagree with your last statement. I have been a big believer and I articulated three times before the committee in Ontario that I am a big supporter of a balance between private and public funding. I would by no means suggest that we should eliminate the opportunity for political parties, candidates, or political actors to raise funds by those means, but there needs to be a balance.
With respect to your transparency comments, I would suggest that although the political arena has been fraught with some implications of improprieties, I don't believe they are actually there. Among the general populace, what I heard consistently across the province is that there is a perception of there being cash for access events at which wealthy donors get the opportunity to engage with parliamentarians, political actors, and operatives, and that their interests are being far more pushed forward because of that undue influence, because of the money they can bring to the table.