Patti Starr affair
| Date | 1989-1990 |
|---|---|
| Location | Toronto, Ontario |
| Also known as | Patti Starr scandal, Pattigate |
| Outcome | Scandal contributed to Liberal government defeat in 1990; Supreme Court decision on legitimacy of Houlden Inquiry led to precedent of crimiinal trials over judicial inquiries |
| Inquiries | Houlden Judicial Inquiry (suspended) |
| Accused | Patti Starr |
| Charges | Election fraud, breach of trust |
| Convictions | Starr sentenced to six months in jail, paroled after two months |
| Litigation | Starr sued David Peterson, Vince Borg and Liberal Party, case eventually dropped |
The Patti Starr affair, sometimes referred to as Pattigate or the Patti Starr scandal was a political controversy that affected the Ontario Liberal government between 1989 and 1990. Patti Starr was a fundraiser and supporter who made illegal political contributions through her role as head of a charity called the Toronto Section of the National Council of Jewish Women. Through her scheme she made $160,000 in contributions to Federal, Provincial, and Municipal politicians. In particular she contributed to Liberal campaign funds during the 1987 provincial election including those of some senior cabinet ministers. When the scheme was revealed it contributed to the downfall of the Liberal government in 1990. At the time it was one of the biggest political scandals in Ontario history.
In 1989, Premier David Peterson appointed Justice Lloyd Houlden to lead a judicial inquiry into the affair. Shortly after it began Starr launched a lawsuit to have the inquiry shut down. The suit, Starr v. Houlden, reached the Supreme Court of Canada which ruled that the inquiry was unconstitutional since it would impair the rights of the defendants to due process which would be available to them in a criminal trial. This decision set a precedent for future judicial inquiries including the Westray Mine disaster of 1992 and the Algo Centre Mall collapse in Elliott Lake in 2012.
In 1991, Starr was found guilty of election fraud and breach of trust. She was sentenced to six months in jail but paroled after two months. In 1993, she wrote a book about her experience called Tempting Fate: A cautionary tale of power and politics. In the book she argued that her sins were minor and that Peterson used her as a scapegoat to avoid scrutiny of other activities within the Liberal party and government.
In 1985, Starr was a volunteer chair of the Toronto Section of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), a charity in existence since 1897. She used this position to cultivate relationships with Federal and Provincial politicians. In particular she became close with Jim Peterson who was David Peterson's brother. She also met with Gordon Ashworth, the Premier's top aide and Principal Secretary Hershell Ezrin. She was often seen visiting the Premier's office where one staffer remarked that she would 'park her fur'. She referred to Ezrin and Ashworth as 'my babies'. Starr received direction from them as to where to target her fundraising activities. As a reward for raising money she was given the patronage appointment of the Chair of Ontario Place.
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