Very unfortunately, the Conservative Party's federal election platform ignores many loopholes and flaws in the federal good government system, and misleads voters about their actual record since 2006.

The Conservatives' platform claims that they have "lived up to" their mandate and have a "strong record" of increasing accountability in the federal government, and that they: "strengthened" the Ethics Commissioner's role; "banned secret donations to political candidates"; "provided real protection for whistleblowers"; "strengthened public access to information" and; "worked tirelessly" on Senate reform which was resisted by the

opposition parties.

In fact, the Harper Conservatives broke 31 of their 60 government accountability and democratic reform election promises from 2006, including by failing to set up real protection for whistleblowers.  They also weakened access to information and ethics rules (and as a result also weakened the Ethics Commissioner's role).  As well, they left open loopholes that still allow for secret donations to nomination and party leadership race candidates.  And they shut down Parliament twice which is the main reason Senate reform initiatives were delayed.

Because of their broken promises from the 2006 election, and their weak 2011 election platform, even if the Conservatives were elected and kept all 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 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 flaws with our voting system (and they will also continue to be able to hide their expense records from a full audit).

If the Conservatives think that voters will trust them with power again without them making 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 better than how they are promising to govern.