Very unfortunately for them and all Canadians, the Liberal Party of Canada’s federal election platform ignores many loopholes and flaws in the federal good-government system.

Even if the Liberals were elected and kept all of their promises, it will still be legal in federal politics: to be dishonest and excessively secretive, to lobby secretly and unethically; to make secret, unlimited donations to some types of political candidates; for cabinet ministers and government officials to make decisions in which they have a financial interest; and for cabinet to make patronage and crony appointments, and to call unfair snap elections.

As well, whistleblower protection will remain too weak, and lapdog good-government enforcement agencies and the Senate will continue to be ineffective and unaccountable.

MPs will also still lack key powers, will still be too dependent on their party leader for their job, and many will not be very representative of voters in their ridings because of the flaws with the current first-past-the-post voting system (and MPs will also continue to be able to hide their expense records from a full audit).

If Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals think that voters will trust them with power again, without titanium-clad promises to ensure they will exercise power with integrity, they are only fooling themselves.

Canadians deserve better than how the Conservatives have governed in the past five years and how the Liberals are promising to govern.

Both parties still have plenty of time left in this election campaign to give Canadians what they deserve. If they want power, they need to make more, and stronger, good-government promises.