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What's
New
at Democracy Watch
Set out below
are
links to key Democracy Watch news releases and media
articles/interviews
from the past 6 months or so
NOTE: Some links will take you
to a media outlet
webpage that is not controlled
by Democracy Watch, and so in some cases the article or interview
will no longer be available on that webpage, or only available to
subscribers.
To see the complete list of Democracy Watch's
media
coverage, click here
and click here for TV and radio
interviews
To see what's new by
issue, go to: Campaigns and Action
Alerts
|
Democracy
Watch
News
Links
NEWS RELEASE: Federal
Conservatives'
Proposed
Changes Will Increase Disclosure and Ethics Requirements, But Secret
and Unethical Lobbying Will Still Be Legal Until Other Huge Loopholes
Are Closed (August 5, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Calgary's
city
election
donation
limit
of $5,000 is too high, allows wealthy to
buy influence with candidates (Calgary
Herald, July 18, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Low
voter
turnout
in
Calgary
elections, as in most Canadian city elections,
give well-known candidates a chance to win (Calgary Herald, July 18, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Failure
of
federal
Ethics
Commissioner
Mary Dawson to maintain Conservative
Cabinet minister's public disclosure statement accurately more clear
evidence of Commissioner's negligent enforcement record (Canada.com
and 12 other CanWest News service newspapers (all publishing Winnipeg Free Press article), July
17, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: New
Brunswick
coalition
releases
second
democracy report card on provincial
parties' election platforms (Daily
Gleaner and Times and
Transcript (New Brunswick), July 17, 2010) -- To see Telegraph Journal article on the
same subject, click
here
RADIO PHONE-IN SHOW: Democracy
Watch
Coordinator
Duff
Conacher
on
the
loopholes
and
flaws
in
Canada's
democracy (CBC Maritime Noon phone-in show (starts 20 min. into
show), July 15, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Loopholes
in
ethics
rules
allow
MPs
and
Senators
to keep active business and
financial interests (Canada.com and National Post "Full Comment" blog,
July 14, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal
Ethics
Commissioner
will
investigate
Conservative
Cabinet
minister's
action
in
relation to former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer --
Commissioner should be investigating many other Conservative government
representatives (CTV.ca and 16 other media outlets across
Canada (all publishing a CanadianPress.com wire article), July 6, 2010)
OP-ED: Parliament
has
problems, but not the problems many commentators claim it has (Hill
Times, July 5, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal
Conservatives continue patronage and crony appointments, and to break
promise to establish Public Appointments Commission (Hill Times, July 5, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Loopholes
in
federal
ethics
rules
allow
MPs
to
have
other
jobs
and
businesses,
and to lobby for them (CTV.ca and 36 other media outlets across
Canada (all publishing CanadianPress.com wire article, July 5, 2010) --
To see a related news
release, click here
WEBSITE ARTICLE: New
Brunswick Conservatives promise more collaborative government if
elected in September provincial election (New Brunswick
Telegraph Journal, July 1, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: New
Brunswick
coalition
pushes
provincial
parties
to
promise
honesty-in-politics
law
in
fall
election
platforms (New
Brunswick
Telegraph Journal, June 30, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: New
Brunswick
Conservatives
promise
dozens
of
democratic
reforms,
but
details
needed (New Brunswick
Telegraph Journal, June 26, 2010)
NEWS RELEASE: CSIS
Director's Disclosure of Foreign Influence Over Canadian Government
Officials Yet Another Reason To Ban Secret, Unethical Donations and
Lobbying Across Canada -- If
politicians across Canada do not close
loopholes and strengthen enforcement, corruption of governments will
continue to be easy (June 23, 2010)
LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: Auditor
General should not have compromised -- is legally required to audit
expenses of MPs
(and Senators) (Hill Times,
June
21,
2010)
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Federal
Conservatives broke their 2006 election promises on open government,
but opposition parties also to blame for ongoing government secrecy
(Globe and Mail, June 19,
2010, Hill Times, June 28,
2010)
OP-ED: Oliphant
Commission and recent scandals show clear need for another Federal
Accountability Act (Rabble.ca, June 16, 2010, Hill Times, June 21, 2010,
TheMarkNews.com, June 23, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal
Auditor
General
should
not
compromise
--
is
legally
required
to
audit
all
public
money
spent
by
MPs/House
and
Senators/Senate (Toronto
Star, June 16, 2010)
NEWS RELEASE: Dangerously
Unethical Loopholes in MP Ethics Rules Mean They Can Lobby For
Themselves, Family Members and Anyone They Choose (June 14, 2010)
NEWS RELEASE: Justice
Oliphant
Recommends Closing Only 4 of More Than 20 Loopholes in
Ethics Rules For Cabinet Ministers and Senior Government Officials, and
Correcting 14 of More Than 20 Flaws in Ethics Enforcement System -- Commission ignores many loopholes that allow
for secret donations and lobbying and unethical actions by others in
federal politics (May 31,
2010) -- NOTE: Covered by 45 media outlets across Canada
WEBSITE ARTICLE: New
Brunswick
Liberals
again
promise,
and
Conservatives
promise
for
first
time,
to
require
disclosure
of
provincial
lobbying (New
Brunswick Telegraph-Journal,
May 27, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Governments
must
require
banks
they
do
business
with
to
serve
everyone
fairly
and
well (NOW Magazine, May
27, 2010)
NEWS RELEASE: Federal
Court
of Appeal Ruling Means Harper Conservatives Broke Their 2006
Election Promise to Fix Election Dates -- Democracy
Watch
Will
Apply
For
Leave
to
Appeal
to
Supreme
Court
of
Canada
(May 26, 2010) - JOIN Facebook
Group To Protest Another Snap Federal Election
NEWS RELEASE: Democracy
Watch in Court Today -- Appealing Federal Court Ruling That Legalized
Conservative Prime Minister Harper's September 2008 Snap Federal
Election Call Despite Fixed-Election-Date Law (May 25, 2010) NOTE:
Covered by 40 media outlets across Canada
WEBSITE ARTICLE: MPs'
attendance
records
in
Parliament
kept
secret,
violating
the
public's
right
to
know
whether
they
are
doing
their
job (Canoe.ca and 7
SunMedia newspapers across Canada, May 25, 2010)
LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: Auditor
General has not only the power, but actually a legal duty, to audit MPs
and Parliament (Hill Times,
May
24,
2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal
Auditor
General
not
only
has
clear
power
to
audit
MPs
and
Parliament,
she
is
legally
required
to
do
the
audit
every
few
years (Globe
and
Mail, May 19, 2010)
MEDIA ALERT: May
25th Hearing of Appeal of Federal Court Ruling That Legalized
Conservative Prime Minister Harper's September 2008 Snap Federal
Election Call Despite Fixed-Election-Date Law (May 19, 2010) -- To see related Canoe.ca article
(published by 5 SunMedia newspapers across Canada), click
here
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Auditor
General has clear power and legally required mandate to audit MPs (Halifax Chronicle Herald, May 18,
2010)
NEWS RELEASE: Democracy
Watch
Would Challenge Federal Ethics Commissioner's Error-Filled Ruling
on Lisa Raitt Fundraiser in Court, But Such Court Challenges are
Illegal -- Group Calls For
Dismissal of Ethics Commissioner, and Changes to Strengthen Federal
Ethics Laws (May 17, 2010)
RADIO PHONE-IN SHOW: Democracy
Watch
Coordinator
Duff
Conacher
on
the
loopholes
and
flaws
in
Canada's
democracy (CBC Maritime Noon phone-in show (starts 15 min. into
show), May 17, 2010)
LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: Federal
Liberal and Conservative
proposed changes won't make secret, unethical lobbying illegal (Hill Times, May 17, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal
political
parties
refuse
to
allow
Auditor
General
to
audit
spending
by
MPs,
raising
questions
of
what
they
are
hiding (Toronto
Star, May 14, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Fixed
election
dates
with
election
spending
regulations
for
long
time
period
before
voting
day
are
more
fair
for
everyone (New
Brunswick Times and Transcript,
May 10, 2010)
LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: Federal
Liberal and Conservative proposed changes won't make secret, unethical
lobbying illegal (Hill Times,
May
10,
2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Newfoundland
and
Labrador
Premier
Danny
Williams
seeks
third
term
in
2011
fixed-date
provincial
election,
but
loopholes
allow
him
to
escape
accountability
(CTV.ca and 26 other media outlets across Canada (including the Globe
and Mail, Winnipeg Free Press,
Metro
newspapers
and
many
radio
station
websites,
May
10,
2010)
NEWS RELEASE: Democracy
Watch Files Complaints With Federal Ethics Commissioner About
Possible Preferential Treatment of Rahim Jaffer by Conservative
Government
Representatives (May 6, 2010)
OP-ED: Weak
ethics rules and enforcement undermine everyone in Canadian politics
(Hill Times, May 3, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Democracy
Watch
highlights
loopholes
in
federal
laws
and
enforcement
that
continue
to
allow
for
secret,
unethical
lobbying
and
advising
by
former
politicians
and
government
officials (Hill
Times, April 26, 2010)
PODCAST INTERVIEW: Democracy
Watch Coordinator Duff Conacher interviewed about Democracy Watch's
history of success (This Magazine,
April
26,
2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Democracy
Watch
points
out
loopholes
in
federal
lobbying
disclosure
law
revealed
by
Rahim
Jaffer
affair (CTV.ca and 10 other media outlets across
Canada (all publishing Canadian Press wire article), April 23, 2010) --
To see related news
release, click here
WEBSITE ARTICLE: MPs grill
federal Ethics Commissioner about Helena Guergis affair (Halifax Chronicle Herald, April 23,
2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal
government's
waste
prevention
rules
and
watchdog
agencies
too
weak
to
prevent
waste (Toronto Sun
and 6 other Sunmedia newspapers across Canada, April 20, 2010)
PODCAST INTERVIEW: Democracy
Watch
Coordinator
Duff
Conacher
interviewed
on
flaws
and
loopholes
in
federal
government's
access-to-information
system (Full Comment
podcast, National Post, April
16, 2010)
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Federal
Conservatives broke their 2006 election promises on open government,
but opposition parties also to blame for ongoing government secrecy
(Calgary Sun, Edmonton Sun and Vancouver Sun, April 15-17, 2010)
RADIO INTERVIEW: Democracy
Watch
Coordinator
Duff
Conacher
points
out
loopholes
and
flaws
in
federal
ethics
and
lobbying
rules
and
enforcement
system
highlighted
by
the
Helena
Guergis/Rahim
Jaffer
situation,
some
of
which
Ethics
Commissioner
Mary
Dawson
admits
exist (CBC Radio's The Current
(Part 1), April 15, 2010) -- To see related
Democracy
Watch
news
release, click
here, and to see related
CBC.ca article, click
here
NEWS RELEASE: Recent
Cases
Highlight How Federal Ethics and Lobbying Commissioners Continue
to Fail to Enforce Laws Effectively -- Commons committee must
question both commissioners (April 14, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Ethics
Commissioner Mary Dawson creates secret process to hide Cabinet
ministers' conflicts of interest, raising questions about compliance
with the Conflict of Interest Act
(Halifax Chronicle Herald,
April 13, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Loopholes
allow
for
secret,
unethical
federal
lobbying,
mainly
by
corporations
(StraightGoods.ca, April 13, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal
Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson and federal
Conservative Cabinet Minister Gail Shea fail to ensure declaration of
recusal is in Shea's public file to alert public to conflict of interest
(Halifax Chronicle Herald,
April 12, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Former
federal
Conservative
MP
Rahim
Jaffer
faces
allegations
of
influence-peddling,
failing
to
register
as
a
lobbyist,
allegations
he
denies (Globe and Mail,
April 9, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: New
Brunswick
coalition
switches
from
opposing
NB
Power
sale
deal
to
pushing
for
democratic
reforms (Fredericton
Daily
Gleaner, April 9, 2010)
TV NEWS PIECE: Former
Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer and his spouse, Conservative Cabinet
minister Helena Guergis, face allegations of improper activities,
allegations they deny (CBC TV's The National, April 8, 2010)
TV INTERVIEW: Democracy
Watch Coordinator Duff Conacher on allegations concerning former
Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer and his spouse, Conservative Cabinet
minister Helena Guergis (CBC News Network's Power and Politics
show, April 8, 2010 -- Interview begins at 11-minute mark and ends at
17-minute mark of the show)
NEWS RELEASE: Federal
Commissioner of Lobbying Fails in Past Year to Rule on Five
Longstanding Ethics Complaints - Along
with
Federal
Ethics
Commissioner
Also
Taking
Too
Long
to
Rule
on
Complaints
About
Fundraising
Events
Held
by Federal
Conservatives
Rick
Dykstra
and
Lisa
Raitt
Last
Fall
(April 8, 2010) -- To see
Canoe.ca article about the release, click
here
TV PANEL: Democracy
Watch
Coordinator
Duff
Conacher
on
TV
show
panel
on
Senate
reform
(TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin, March 23, 2010) -- Click on Senate
Reform link on the page
NEW RELEASE: Democracy
Watch
Applauds
Opposition
Parties
Actions on Disclosure of Afghan
Detainee Documents, Prorogation and MP Mailings, But More Effective
Measures Needed (March 22, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: At
protest of thousands against NB Power deal on Saturday, Democracy Watch
Coordinator Duff Conacher calls the deal a violation of key democratic
government principles (Saint John
Telegraph Journal, March 22, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Democracy
Watch
Coordinator
Duff
Conacher
urges
New
Brunswickers
to
go
from
protesting
proposed
sale
of
NB
Power
on
to
pushing
for
democratic
reforms
to
prevent
future
similar
bad
government
decisions (Fredericton
Daily
Gleaner, March
20,
2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: At
protest
of
New
Brunswickers
against
proposed
sale
of
NB
Power
company,
Democracy
Watch
Coordinator
Duff
Conacher
as
keynote
speaker
raises
questions
about
ethics
of
deal,
and
urges
voters
to
push
for
key
democratic
reforms
to
stop
similar
future
bad
government
decisions (CBC.ca, March 20, 2010)
NEWS RELEASE: Democracy
Watch Calls on All Federal Parties to Reach Agreement on Eliminating
"10-Percenter" Mailings to Save More Than $10 Million -- Board
of Internal Economy (BOIE) Must Have Consensus To Change Rules, And
Should Hold Public Meetings To Discuss "10-Percenter" and All Issues
(March 15, 2010)
NEWS RELEASE: Democracy
Watch
Appeals
Federal
Court
Ruling That Legalized Conservative Prime
Minister Harper's September 2008 Snap Federal Election Call Despite
Fixed-Election-Date Law -- Case Will Be Heard By Federal Court
of Appeal on May 25, 2010 -- Group Calls on PM Harper To Promise
Not To Call Another Snap Election (March 10, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Supreme
Court
of
Canada,
not
one
former
Supreme
justice,
should
rule
on
disclosure
of
documents
about
Afghan
detainees (CBC.ca (Inside
Politics blog), March 5, 2010) -- To
see related National Post
blog posting, click
here
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Supreme
Court
of
Canada,
not
former
justice,
should
rule
on
disclosure
of
documents
about
Afghan
detainees (CanadianPress.com wire article
also published by 23 other media outlets across Canada, March 5, 2010)
RADIO INTERVIEW: Democracy
Watch
Coordinator
Duff
Conacher
on
how
Canada's
federal
government
is
far
from
most
democratic
or
accountable
government
in
the
world (Jeff
Farias show (U.S. Talk Radio), March 3, 2010)
NEWS RELEASE: Canadian
Federal
Government
Far
From Owning the Podium on Democracy and
Government Accountability -- Drops to 11th in Global
Integrity's New Annual Report -- Another Accountability Act Needed
(March 1, 2010)
YouTUBE VIDEO: Duff
Conacher
on
how
to
resolve
the
dispute
over
the
disclosure
of
all
documents
about
Afghan
detainees (StraightGoods.ca, March 1, 2010)
-- To see related website
article, click
here
YouTUBE VIDEO: Duff
Conacher on the ethics of lobbying federal Canadian politicians
(StraightGoods.ca, February 24, 2010)
LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: Federal
Conservatives broke their
promise to make nomination races democratic, but opposition parties and
MPs also to blame for control by party leaders of MPs (Hill Times, February 22, 2010 and National Post, February 17, 2010)
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal
Conservative
Minister
of
Democratic
Reform
refuses
to
make
his
briefing
book
public (Winnipeg Free Press,
Canada.com
and
11
CanWest
News
Service
newspapers
across
Canada,
February
13,
2010)
NEWS RELEASE: Democracy
Watch
Calls
on Federal Conservatives and Opposition MPs to Refer Afghan
Detainee Document and Committee Testimony Disclosure Issues to Supreme
Court of Canada for Ruling (February 10, 2010) -- To see related article in Le Devoir (in French), click
here
RADIO PIECE: Examination
of
the
federal
Conservatives'
democratic
reform
and
accountability
record
featuring
Democracy
Watch
Coordinator
Duff
Conacher (CBC
Radio's The Current Part 3, February 4, 2010 or click here)
--
To see Democracy
Watch's
Report Card
on the Conservatives' record, click
here
WEBSITE ARTICLE: Ontario
judges
hold
unjustifiably
secret
training
session
on
trial
management
issues (Toronto Star,
February 4, 2010)
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