Thursday, January 20, 2000

OTTAWA - In letters sent today, Democracy Watch called on Industry Minister John Manley and the federal Liberal Party to disclose immediately any donations they have received in 1999 or 2000 from special interests with a stake in the government's decision concerning subsidies for hockey teams.

"Sunshine is a good disinfectant against undue influence over the government," said Aaron Freeman, Board Member of Democracy Watch, "Canadians have a right to know how much key interests are donating to Ministers and the governing party at the time of any major policy decision."

Specifically, Democracy Watch called for disclosure of all donations to Industry Minister John Manley, his riding association, any related trust fund or leadership campaign fund from any person or organization involved in lobbying for government financial aid for hockey teams. In addition, Democracy Watch called on the Liberal Party to disclose donations from people or groups involved in the issue.

In April 1999, Industry Minister John Manley attended the Ottawa Senators' first playoff series game against Buffalo, sitting in the private box owned by Senators' owner Rod Bryden. Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy, Justice Minister Anne McLellan, and then-Indian Affairs and Northern Development Jane Stewart also sat in Bryden's box while attending the game. Jean Pelletier, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's chief of staff, also sat in Bryden's box while attending a game a week earlier.

Under current disclosure rules, donations to political parties do not have to be made public until six months after the end of any year, MPs and riding associations do not have to disclose donations received outside of election campaign periods, and donations to trust funds and leadership campaign funds never have to be disclosed. As a result, many donations can remain secret; 1999 donations to the Party will not be made public until this July; and donations to the Party made at any time in 2000 will not be made public until July 2001. The government's current bill to amend the Canada Elections Act, Bill C-2, will do nothing to close these disclosure loopholes and delays, which do not exist in many other jurisdictions.

"Powerful private interests could easily be using secret donations to influence Minister Manley and the Liberals on this issue," said Freeman, "The Minister and the Liberal Party should not only disclose whether any such donations have been made, but also ensure that Bill C-2 is amended before it is passed this spring to close the undemocratic loopholes in our political finance system that allow secret donations."