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Tuesday, December 10, 2024
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Duff Conacher

Duff Conacher is the co-founder of Democracy Watch and a visiting professor at the University of Ottawa.

Bélanger’s proposed Lobbyists’ Code changes should go much further

Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | July 11, 2022
Canada's federal Lobbying Commissioner Karen Bélanger. Democracy Watch's Duff Conacher argues that the commissioner’s proposed cooling-off periods for lobbyists will allow for 'corrupt favour-trading'. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | July 11, 2022
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | July 11, 2022
Canada's federal Lobbying Commissioner Karen Bélanger. Democracy Watch's Duff Conacher argues that the commissioner’s proposed cooling-off periods for lobbyists will allow for 'corrupt favour-trading'. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | July 11, 2022
Canada's federal Lobbying Commissioner Karen Bélanger. Democracy Watch's Duff Conacher argues that the commissioner’s proposed cooling-off periods for lobbyists will allow for 'corrupt favour-trading'. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | July 11, 2022
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | July 11, 2022
Canada's federal Lobbying Commissioner Karen Bélanger. Democracy Watch's Duff Conacher argues that the commissioner’s proposed cooling-off periods for lobbyists will allow for 'corrupt favour-trading'. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | April 6, 2022
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with reporters before the Liberal caucus meeting in West Block on Feb. 16. When governments, political parties, and politicians see that the media does not think an issue or policy-making process is newsworthy, they know they will face little public accountability for making bad decisions, writes Duff Conacher. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | April 6, 2022
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | April 6, 2022
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with reporters before the Liberal caucus meeting in West Block on Feb. 16. When governments, political parties, and politicians see that the media does not think an issue or policy-making process is newsworthy, they know they will face little public accountability for making bad decisions, writes Duff Conacher. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | January 19, 2022
Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger is pictured ahead of a December 2017 House Ethics Committee meeting. The committee has called for the Lobbying Act to do away with the 20 per cent rule for a decade, writes Duff Conacher. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | January 19, 2022
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | January 19, 2022
Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger is pictured ahead of a December 2017 House Ethics Committee meeting. The committee has called for the Lobbying Act to do away with the 20 per cent rule for a decade, writes Duff Conacher. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | February 25, 2021
Through 2017-2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals chose a new information commissioner, privacy commissioner, parliamentary budget officer, auditor general, chief electoral officer and governor general, all key guardians of our democracy, using secretive, cabinet-controlled processes, writes Duff Conacher. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | February 25, 2021
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | February 25, 2021
Through 2017-2018, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals chose a new information commissioner, privacy commissioner, parliamentary budget officer, auditor general, chief electoral officer and governor general, all key guardians of our democracy, using secretive, cabinet-controlled processes, writes Duff Conacher. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | February 5, 2020
Canada's ambassador to China, Dominic Barton, left, pictured with former broadcaster Don Newman, is using an 'ethics screen' to prevent conflicts of interest, but it ultimately doesn’t prohibit him from participating in decisions if 'the interest in the decision or matter is of general application,' writes Duff Conacher. The Hill Times file photograph
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | February 5, 2020
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | February 5, 2020
Canada's ambassador to China, Dominic Barton, left, pictured with former broadcaster Don Newman, is using an 'ethics screen' to prevent conflicts of interest, but it ultimately doesn’t prohibit him from participating in decisions if 'the interest in the decision or matter is of general application,' writes Duff Conacher. The Hill Times file photograph
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | January 20, 2020
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | January 20, 2020
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | January 20, 2020
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | November 4, 2019
In what the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals called the 'Election Modernization Act' (Bill C-76), huge backwards steps were taken despite the protests of many experts and tens of thousands of Canadians. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | November 4, 2019
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | November 4, 2019
In what the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals called the 'Election Modernization Act' (Bill C-76), huge backwards steps were taken despite the protests of many experts and tens of thousands of Canadians. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | March 18, 2019
Try to forget about the people and parties involved in the SNC-Lavalin/Attorney General of Canada/Prime Minister’s Office scandal. If you wanted to ensure that justice is not only done but will 'manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done,' and to remove the appearance of bias in law enforcement across Canada, what would you do, asks Duff Conacher. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | March 18, 2019
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | March 18, 2019
Try to forget about the people and parties involved in the SNC-Lavalin/Attorney General of Canada/Prime Minister’s Office scandal. If you wanted to ensure that justice is not only done but will 'manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done,' and to remove the appearance of bias in law enforcement across Canada, what would you do, asks Duff Conacher. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | November 6, 2017
Finance Minister Bill Morneau, pictured recently on the Hill. In all the spin about Mr. Morneau’s conflicts of interest scandal, what are the real problems, and how can the unethical knots that the scandal reveals be untied to ensure ethical government decision-making in the future? The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | November 6, 2017
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | November 6, 2017
Finance Minister Bill Morneau, pictured recently on the Hill. In all the spin about Mr. Morneau’s conflicts of interest scandal, what are the real problems, and how can the unethical knots that the scandal reveals be untied to ensure ethical government decision-making in the future? The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | June 19, 2017
Navy commander Vice-Admiral Mark Norman on March 8 2016. He was later made vice-chief of defence staff, and then removed from that post in January 2016. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | June 19, 2017
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | June 19, 2017
Navy commander Vice-Admiral Mark Norman on March 8 2016. He was later made vice-chief of defence staff, and then removed from that post in January 2016. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | May 16, 2016
Staffers, journalists, and lobbyists, pictured at D'Arcy McGee's Pub in Ottawa at a party. Right now backbench MPs have the same cooling-off period as the PM, cabinet ministers and senior government officials. That doesn't make sense in most cases, writes Duff Conacher. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | May 16, 2016
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | May 16, 2016
Staffers, journalists, and lobbyists, pictured at D'Arcy McGee's Pub in Ottawa at a party. Right now backbench MPs have the same cooling-off period as the PM, cabinet ministers and senior government officials. That doesn't make sense in most cases, writes Duff Conacher. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | April 11, 2016
Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef, pictured in this file photo, is responsible for any changes to Canada's campaign financing laws as the minister responsible for the Elections Canada and the Elections Act. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | April 11, 2016
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | April 11, 2016
Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef, pictured in this file photo, is responsible for any changes to Canada's campaign financing laws as the minister responsible for the Elections Canada and the Elections Act. The Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | January 11, 2016
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | January 11, 2016
Opinion | BY DUFF CONACHER | January 11, 2016