Democracy Watch

Citizens groups: Integrity Commissioner's severance pay package must be cancelled

OTTAWA - Today, an alliance of more than 30 accountability organizations called on the Public Accounts Committee to pass a resolution recommending, and the government to follow through on, the cancellation of the reported $500,000-plus secret severance pay package offered by the government to former disgraced Integrity Commissioner Christiane Ouimet.

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Good government laws desperately needed in Ottawa

Oct. 27, 2010. OTTAWA - Today, in an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and opposition party leaders, an alliance of more than 30 accountability organizations called for the appointment of a new Public Sector Integrity Commissioner with a much stronger mandate, and key reforms of the federal whistleblower protection law (the Public Servants Disclosure and Protection Act).

The new Commissioner must be selected through a public, merit-based process overseen by a body independent Cabinet, such as the Public Appointments Commission the Conservatives promised in 2006 but have still failed to establish.

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Green Party receives C- best grade of bad overall grades in Report Card on British Columbia Parties’ Democratic Good Government

Democracy Watch

| May 10, 2013

Green Party receives C- best grade of bad overall grades in Report Card on British Columbia Parties’ Democratic Good Government Platforms — Conservatives receive a D-, NDP a D- and Liberals an F

Despite high voter concern about democracy and trust, all parties fail to promise many needed changes to have effective democracy, government ethics and accountability in British Columbia

Friday, May 10, 2013

OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch released its Report Card on the 2013 Democratic Good Government Election Platforms of the five main British Columbia political parties, the only election report card on these issues.

Lapdog federal Ethics Commissioner again refuses to investigate a clear case

Democracy Watch

| May 10, 2013

Lapdog federal Ethics Commissioner again refuses to investigate a clear case — PM Harper helping Peter Penashue with spending and by-election during Elections Canada investigation

Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson has let dozens of Conservatives off the hook for clear ethics violations, and made more than 80 secret rulings, since 2007 — letter-writing campaign has thousands calling for key changes to ensure effective ethics enforcement

Friday, May 10, 2013

Audit of 2011 federal election gives even more reasons for public inquiry into Elections Canada

Democracy Watch

| May 2, 2013

Audit of 2011 federal election gives even more reasons for public inquiry into Elections Canada’s enforcement actions – along with 3,000 secret complaint rulings since 1997

Changes to law needed before next election to require Elections Canada to enhance pre-election voter registration, have clear rules and better training for election workers, to conduct full public audits after every election, and to disclose all rulings

Thursday, May 2, 2013

10 reasons Canadians should be concerned about the review of federal ethics rules

Democracy Watch

| April 25, 2013

OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch and the Government Ethics Coalition set out 10 reasons Canadians should be concerned about the current review of federal ethics rules by the House of Commons Ethics Committee, and proposed 30 key changes to the rules, enforcement and penalties needed to have ethical federal politics.

No excuse for federal Conservatives to be seven months overdue with anti-robocall law

Democracy Watch

| April 19, 2013

Alberta passed new law quickly last fall; federal Liberals and NDP have introduced bills (both opposed by the Conservatives); and Elections Canada has proposed changes

More than 68,000 messages sent in letter-writing drive for robocall law – inquiry into weak election law enforcement also needed

Friday, April 19, 2013

Democracy Watch congratulates Justin Trudeau, and sets out plan for good government and corporate responsibility reforms

Democracy Watch

| April 15, 2013

Surveys show proposals supported by large majority of Canadians, and also endorsed by national coalitions made up of 140 citizen groups with more than 3 million total members

April 15, 2013

OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch congratulated Justin Trudeau on becoming leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, and called on him not only to keep the democratic reform promises he made during the campaign but also to make many more changes that a large majority of Canadians support in keeping his commitments to “reform our political institutions” and in “reconciling the environment and our economy”. Democracy Watch set out detailed proposals for keeping these commitments.

Group files complaint with Ethics Commissioner about PM's by-election call helping Peter Penashue

Democracy Watch

| April 12, 2013

Group also launches national letter-writing campaign calling on House Committees reviewing federal Conflict of Interest Act and MP and Senate ethics codes to recommend key changes to strengthen ethics rules, enforcement and penalties

Ethics Commissioner has rejected more than 80 complaints with secret rulings since 2007, and cleared dozens of Cabinet ministers, staff and MPs who violated ethics rules or exploited huge loopholes in the rules

Friday, April 12, 2013

Information Commissioner to investigate muzzling of federal scientists after complaint and letter-writing campaign

Democracy Watch

| April 1, 2013

OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch expressed its pleasure with the fact that the Information Commissioner has officially confirmed they will conduct a full investigation into the muzzling of federal government scientists by the federal Conservative government.

The complaint was filed by Democracy Watch in collaboration with the University of Victoria’s Environmental Law Clinic over new federal government policies that attempt to muzzle scientists.

Democracy Watch

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