Yes, the difference is that the cash for access are closed except for those in the know.  They are private affairs unlike BBQs and the like that are open to the public.
And Yes, Trudeau said he would do things differently, and he is, far more corrupt than anything we have seen from the Conservatives.  
BTW, is he so dense that he missed all the backlash that Wynne is getting for her cash for access events?