Given the amount of money i.e. $1500 to attend these elite gatherings I don't see them as so serious a threat to our democracy. Can a cabinet minister be bought off for $1500? I doubt it. In this kind of setting there would not be much time to talk about any serious business. We have limited the ability of party's to raise money and unless we are going to ask taxpayers to fully fund party operations we need to take a deep breath. It sounds sleazy but I doubt it.