Public Works audit cleared sponsorships in March: Problems were known two years ago and ‘fixed’ [Internal audit]
Public Works and Government Services Canada’s new internal “Audit and Ethics” Branch gave its stamp of approval to the department’s entire sponsorship program last month just weeks before the Auditor General called in the RCMP to investigate the same sponsorship contracts. The Liberals are now facing allegations of corruption and sleaziness in the House and […]
Play ball! It’s that time of year for Hill’s famed softball league: Next generation of Alliance members started Hill internships last week, most working in party’s war room
Staffers looking to cut loose on the softball diamond were disappointed to learn that the season opener of the Parliamentary Hill Softball League had to be pushed back two weeks because of poor field conditions in Ottawa. “Unfortunately, the weather hasn’t cooperated,” said Doug Secord, long-time assistant to Grit Mac Harb and one of the […]
Still no legislation governing conflict of interest in Parliament: The only major innovation of the last decade has been the creation of the position of federal Ethics Counsellor
A whole chapter could be devoted to how each jurisdiction handles varying types of ethically sensitive activity. Since the federal regulatory scheme is in most ways the least well-developed, however, we will concentrate on Ottawa in particular. In other words, although the provincial governments are far from perfect, the biggest, most expensive government we support […]
We should sign Kyoto, emissions trading will have positive effects: It’s wrong and biased to say that the U.S. not ratifying the Kyoto protocol will impact negatively on Canada
There is a major economic dimension to the challenge posed by the Kyoto protocol. It is true that, in western Canada, there is some opposition to the protocol as such, but all the letters written by provincial premiers that I read show that they support the principle underlying the Kyoto protocol. I emphasize the term […]
Maybe Charbonneau liked the sound of ‘Monsieur le pr&ea;sident’: Headed by Minister Jean-Pierre Charbonneau, Quebec government looks at changing to a republican system
QUEBEC CITY–Ladies and gentlemen, The President of Quebec! If The Distinct Society’s new minister for intergovernmental affairs has his way, TDS’s current British Parliamentary system would make room for a Quebec-made version of the American system of government. Jean-Pierre Charbonneau, who came to love being called Monsieur le president during his six years as speaker […]
iWhat Parliament’s done since 1984
*May, 1984: Release of Report of the Task Force on Conflict of Interest entitled Ethical Conduct in the Public Sector (the Starr-Sharp Report). *Sept. 9, 1985: Establishment by the government of the Conflict of Interest and Post Employment Code for Public Office Holders. *March 26, 1986: Report to the House of the Management and Members’ […]
U.S. and Canada set to work together on climate change: On March 7, the U.S. and Canada jointly announced an agreement to expand and intensify our shared efforts to address global climate change
How we produce, process, and use energy plays a large role in determining our societies’ long-term rate of sustainable growth. And, more than mining or forestry, energy industries — which include not just oil and natural gas, but also electricity, coal, nuclear power and a host of emerging technologies — determine our environmental impact on […]
Springtime in Washington, D.C., brings hot political energy talk: Canadian House Speaker Peter Milliken meets with U.S. House Speaker Denny Hastert on Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Forget leaving it to the Prime Minister and the President, it’s time ordinary legislators on both sides of the border started to talk about energy. This was the message the third most powerful politician in America sent Commons Speaker Peter Milliken (Kingston and The Islands, Ont.) during a private meeting at the august U.S. […]
The real scoop on federal leadership guidelines: unenforced: Feds’ ethics package unenforceable and rife with conflicts of interest, Canadians should question integrity
In 1993, the Liberal Party’s “governing with integrity” election platform quoted polls showing that 75 per cent of Canadians do not trust the federal government. The Liberals acknowledged that their ability to govern effectively depended on fulfilling their pledge to restore Canadians’ faith in political institutions. In June 1994, the Liberals introduced their ethics package […]
Italian judge who cracked corruption offers intriguing insight: Once upon a time, it was A.D. 1994, an Italian Judge, Antonio Di Pietro, arrived in Canada for a private visit
Many Canadians do not know who Judge Di Pietro is, but for many Italians and many people around the world, he is the person who crushed, at least temporarily, an elaborate scheme created by the political parties to funnel public money into the coffers of political parties and, after a little time, directly right into […]
