LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: Federal democracy and good government watchdogs are lapdogs in key ways -- will Conservatives make much-needed changes? (Globe and Mail, May 15, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Green Party MP May re-files Democracy Watch complaint about Conservatives' unethical relations with Rahim Jaffer (iPolitics.ca, May 7, 2012) To see more information about original complaint, go to: this page

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Elections Alberta should tighten robocall rules and limit information parties can tell voters (Calgary Herald, May 2, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Conservative spending scandals show need for stronger rules, and enforcement (Vancouver Sun, May 1, 2012)

LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: Federal Conservative spending scandals show need for stronger rules, and enforcement (Edmonton Journal, April 30, 2012)

TV PIECE: Spending scandals show need for stronger rules, and enforcement (CBC's The National, April 29, 2012)

TV PIECE: Federal Conservative spending scandals show clear need for strong rules, enforcement, and penalties (CTV's Power Play, April 25, 2012)

NEWS RELEASE: Albertans should not be surprised at low voter turnout in provincial election: Voting system, failure of Elections Alberta to inform voters of right to decline their ballot likely reasons for turnout (April 25, 2012) -- To see related Calgary Sun article, click here

NEWS RELEASE: Federal Conservatives end their five-year sham by cutting funding to secretariat of non-existent Public Appointments Commission (April 19, 2012)

NEWS RELEASE: Federal Conservatives' Open Government Action Plan fails to fulfill Open Government Partnership (OGP) membership requirements -- fails to commit to strengthening access-to-information, ethics, lobbying, political finance, financial administration, public consultation and whistleblower protection laws and enforcement (April 17, 2012) -- To see related Canadian Press wire article, click here

NEWS RELEASE: Elections Canada keeps rulings secret on 2,982 complaints since 1997 -- Federal politicians continue to fail to require disclosure of key information to ensure the Canada Elections Act is enforced fairly and effectively (April 16, 2012) -- To see related Huffington Post article, click here

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Alberta's Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties bought off by large corporate donations (Open File Calgary, April 13, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Conservatives' Open Government Partnership Action Plan is only an open data plan, not a plan for open, ethical government (GlobalNews.ca and 18 other media outlets (all publishing Canadian Press wire article), April 12, 2012) -- To see related news release, click here

OP-ED: Fighter jet spending scandal yet another example of why good government watchdogs must disclose identity of wrongdoers and be given power to penalize them (HuffingtonPost.ca and Rabble.ca, April 4, 2012, and in Vancouver Sun and Regina Leader Post, April 9, 2012)

TV PIECE: Some of Canada's big banks gouge seniors by failing to tell them about fee-free accounts (CBC TV's Marketplace show, April 6, 2012 -- NOTE: Piece starts at 21 minute mark and runs for 5 minutes)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Too high limits and other loopholes allow wealthy interests to buy influence over Alberta politicians (Calgary Herald and 2 other Postmedia News newspapers, April 4, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Conservatives trying to spin open data plan and old initiatives as an actual open government plan (Global News.ca and 18 other media outlets across Canada (all publishing Canadian Press wire article), April 2-3, 2012)

LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: Elections Canada discloses some information about robocall complaints from 2011 election, but must still disclose its rulings on more than 2,280 complaints it received since 2004, and elections law must still be changed (Rabble.ca, March 29, 2012)

TV INTERVIEW: Democracy Watch Board member Duff Conacher on why Conservative Cabinet minister Christian Paradis should be kicked out of Cabinet, and changes needed to federal ethics rules and enforcement (CTV's Power Play show, March 27, 2012)

TV INTERVIEW: Democracy Watch Board member Duff Conacher on changes needed to increase corporate responsibility and accountability laws in Canada (CTV's National Affairs show, March 26, 2012)

LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: Federal Ethics Commissioner's ruling that Conservative Cabinet minister Christian Paradis broke federal ethics law is a step forward, but delayed ruling and failure of Prime Minister Harper to punish Paradis are among fatal flaws in system (Canada.com, March 22, 2012) -- To see related interview with Ethics Commissioner on CBC's Power and Politics, click here

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Alberta Conservatives break promise, so far, to pass whistleblower protection law (Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal, March 19, 2012)

LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: Elections Canada takes some positive steps, but must still disclose its rulings on more than 2,280 complaints it received since 2004, and elections law must still be changed (Rabble.ca, March 16, 2012, Epoch Times, March 24, 2012 and Hill Times, March 26, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Dept. of Aboriginal Affairs using PIN messages to avoid disclosure of records to the public -- loophole in Access to Information Act must be closed (APTN.ca and TV news, March 14, 2012)

LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: Bill giving Elections Canada more powers and making false election phone calls essentially impossible still needs to be passed, and Elections Canada must still disclose its rulings on more than 2,280 complaints it received since 2004 (Winnipeg Free Press, March 14, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: House of Commons adopts Democracy Watch's proposal to give Elections Canada more investigation powers, and to make false election phone calls impossible, but law still needs to be changed (Toronto Star, March 13-14, 2012)

NEWS RELEASE: As banking fees increase yet again, federal government action needed to ensure record big bank profits not based on gouging and ignoring job-creating businesses -- Bill S-5 too weak -- Comprehensive audits, and new Financial Consumer Organization needed for effective bank and financial services industry accountability, and for financial literacy (Canadian Community Reinvestment, March 12, 2012) - To see related Global TV National News March 13th piece, click here

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Lots of corporate lobbyists lobbying on federal budget, but loopholes mean secret, unethical lobbying is still legal (Canada.com and 4 other PostMedia News newspapers across Canada, March 9, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Integrity Commissioner finally finds a government employee guilty based on whistleblower report, but fails to identify the wrongdoer (CTV.ca, GlobalNews.ca, HuffingtonPost.ca and 21 other media outlets across Canada, March 8, 2012)

NEWS RELEASE: Federal whistleblower agency’s first report of wrongdoing is a small step forward -- misconduct was exposed but those responsible seem to have had a soft landing (March 8, 2012)

TV PIECE: Elections Canada must disclose its rulings on 2,284 past complaints, and all it future rulings, to give Canadians assurance they are enforcing the law properly and effectively (CBC TV's The National feature piece, March 7, 2012)

NEWS RELEASE: Elections Canada must disclose its rulings on 2,284 complaints since 2004, and all its future rulings, to prove that it enforces the federal election law properly and effectively -- Canada Elections Act must be changed to make anonymous phone calls to voters illegal and impossible (March 6, 2012)

OP-ED: Democracy Watch, and others, tried to get Elections Canada to fully investigate and properly rule on 2008 election robocall fraud (Ottawa Citizen, March 5, 2012)

LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: Elections Canada must disclose details about complaints and its rulings on more than 2,280 complaints it received since 2004 (Globe and Mail, February 29, 2012, Vancouver Sun and Epoch Times and Toronto Star, March 3, 2012, and Hill Times, March 5, 2012)

TV PIECE re: Elections Canada must disclose details about its rulings on all past complaints, and current robocall complaints (Global News National, March 2, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Elections Canada must disclose details of how it has ruled on 2,284 complaints it has received since 2004 (Maclean's magazine, March 2, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Conservatives used U.S. companies with Republican ties to connect with voters in Canada during 2011 federal election (Toronto Star, March 2, 2012)

EDITORIAL: Federal elections law must be changed to make anonymous phone calls during elections illegal (Winnipeg Free Press, March 2, 2012)

EDITORIAL: Elections Canada must come clean on its past record of investigating and ruling on more than 2,280 complaints (Toronto Star, March 1-2, 2012) -- To see related Toronto Star article, click here

TV INTERVIEW: Elections Canada must come clean on more than 2,280 past election complaints for which it has never issued public rulings (CBC News Network, March 1, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Elections Canada has more than 2,280 other past investigations to answer questions above, not just current robocall fraud investigation (CBC.ca, March 1, 2012) -- To see related Yahoo.com article, click here

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Robcall election fraud tactic was tried first in 2008 federal election in B.C. riding, and Elections Canada should re-open investigation (Georgia Straight, March 1, 2012)

RADIO INTERVIEW: Democracy Watch board member Duff Conacher on federal election robocall fraud situation, and ongoing problems with Elections Canada and other good government watchdog agencies (CBC Radio's The Current show, March 1, 2012)

RADIO INTERVIEW: Democracy Watch Coordinator Tyler Sommers on federal election robocall fraud situation and ongoing problems with Elections Canada (CBC Radio's As it Happens show, February 29, 2012)

TV INTERVIEW: Democracy Watch Coordinator Tyler Sommers on federal election robocall fraud situation and ongoing problems with Elections Canada (Sun News Network, February 29, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Elections Canada has more than 2,280 other past investigations to answer questions about, not just current robocall fraud investigation (Canada.com, GlobalNews.ca and 7 Postmedia News newspapers across Canada, February 28, 2012) -- To see related Global News video and article, click here -- To see related news release, click here

OP-ED: Spending scandal, and many other recent scandals, show clear need for Real Federal Accountability Act to clean up Canadian government (Hill Times, February 20, 2012 and Rabble.ca, February 21, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Foreign Affairs minister John Baird's refusal to comply shows clear need to give federal Information Commissioner more powers (Canada.com and 7 Postmedia News newspapers across Canada, February 20-21, 2012)

NEWS RELEASE: More than 85 secret, unethical lobbying situations possible since 2004 -- Commissioner of Lobbying must disclose secret rulings, and find wrongdoing lobbyists guilty of violating Lobbyists' Code (February 13, 2012) -- To see related CTV.ca news article, click here

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal fixed-election date measures too weak to restrict Prime Minister from calling snap election (iPolitics.ca, February 10, 2012)

NEWS RELEASE: House Committee must recommend that federal Lobbying Act and enforcement system be changed in 10 key ways to finally end secret, unethical lobbying of the federal government (February 9, 2012)

NEWS RELEASE: Survey of public servants shows federal whistleblower protection law must be strengthened -- 5-year review must lead to key changes very soon (February 6, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: MPs must work together to make changes to restrict power of party leaders (Canada.com and 11 Postmedia News newspapers across Canada, January 31, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: If MPs were covered by Access to Information Act, their unethical spending on party activities would be revealed (HuffingtonPost.ca, January 30, 2012)

NEWS RELEASE: Groups urge Senate to question whistleblower watchdog Mario Dion, and to end 5-year muzzling of civil society (January 30, 2012) -- To see related iPolitics.ca article, click here

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Ontario Liberals being undemocratic and secretive in budgeting process, unlike minority government should be (CBC.ca and 18 other media outlets across Canada, all publishing CanadianPress.com wire article, January 27, 2012 -- See article also on GlobalNews.ca)

NEWS RELEASE: Five years after requirements became law, has Treasury Board ensured that all federal government institutions provide legally-required whistleblower protection? (January 26, 2012)

LETTER-TO-THE-EDITOR: If Auditor General had audited MPs as she should have, Duceppe situation would have been cleared up years ago (Globe and Mail, January 25, 2012; Hill Times, January 30, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Governments across Canada, such as the City of Hamilton, continue to fail to operate openly by disclosing information the public has a right to know (Hamilton Spectator, January 19, 2012) -- To see related Spectator editorial, click here

NEWS RELEASE: Federal Conservatives must commit to strengthening access-to-information, ethics, lobbying, political finance, financial administration, public consultation and whistleblower protection laws and enforcement to fulfill their international Open Government Partnership (OGP) membership requirements (January 17, 2012)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Conservatives have so far broken almost all their 2006 election open government promises, and their international Open Government Partnership (OGP) commitments -- will Conservatives' final April 2012 OGP Action Plan also break their commitments? (Canada.com and 13 Postmedia News newspapers across Canada, January 3, 2012) -- To see related news release, click here

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Senate ethics rules and enforcement are a bad joke -- weak and full of loopholes (Globe and Mail, December 31, 2011)

NEWS RELEASE: New federal Integrity Commissioner misleads on CBC TV about his past statement that applying for job while in Interim Commissioner position created conflict for him (December 22, 2011)

OP-ED: Honesty in politics is the best policy, and so it should be required by law (iPolitics.ca, December 22, 2011)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Alberta Premier refuses to disclose details of Conservative Party payments to her -- loopholes in laws that allow for secrecy must be closed (Calgary Herald and 2 other PostMedia newspapers, December 22, 2011)

TV INTERVIEW: New Public Sector Integrity Commissioner Mario Dion misleads about past statements about ethics of applying for job, and tries to excuse his very questionable record (CBC's Power and Politics show, December 21, 2011) -- To see related CBC.ca article, click here

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Parliament watchdogs (except Ethics Commissioner) echo Democracy Watch's call for more accountability for the watchdogs (Ottawa Citizen, December 20-21, 2011) -- To see related article, click here

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Ethics Commissioner finally acknowledges one huge loophole in Conflict of Interest Act and ethics rules, but still fails to acknowledge other loopholes (CBC.ca, December 21, 2011) -- To see related op-ed, click here

NEWS RELEASE: Groups silenced, former integrity officer ignored as whistleblower watchdog appointment is rammed through committee -- Groups call on opposition MPs and Conservative MPs with integrity to vote against appointment in House vote (December 14, 2011) -- To see related CBC.ca article, click here

NEWS RELEASE: Groups call for 10 questions to be answered about Government’s plan to appoint toothless whistleblower watchdog (December 13, 2011) -- To see related Canada.com article, click here

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Commissioner of Lobbying calls for power to fine illegal lobbyists, but loopholes in law need to be closed to make law effective (Globe and Mail, December 13, 2011) -- Also, to see iPolitics.ca article, click here

NEWS RELEASE: Federal Conservatives' Accountability and Democratic Reform Record Gets An "F" For Breaking Many Promises and Practising Politics As Usual (December 12, 2011)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Huge loopholes in federal Lobbying Act mean that lobbyists continue to be let off when they lobby in secret without registering, even if they are found guilty of violating the Lobbyists' Code (Toronto Star, December 12, 2011)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Public has a right to know details about severance package for New Brunswick Power boss (CanadaEast.com, December 10, 2011)

NEWS RELEASE: As International Anti-Corruption Day again passes by, Canadian governments continue to fail to fulfill UN Convention Against Corruption requirements and other international good government standards  (December 9, 2011)

NEWS RELEASE: Federal government action needed to ensure record big bank profits not based on gouging and ignoring job-creating businesses -- Comprehensive audits, and new Financial Consumer Organization needed for effective bank and financial services industry accountability, and for financial literacy (Canadian Community Reinvestment Coalition news release, December 9, 2011)

NEWS RELEASE: Whistleblower watchdog nomination signals continued retreat by government from transparency and accountability promises -- Groups call on opposition parties to ensure, through filibuster if needed, they testify at committee before Conservatives ram appointment through (December 8, 2011) -- To see related CBC.ca article, click here -- To see related Globe and Mail article, click here

NEWS RELEASE: Federal Conservatives break all of their international Open Government Partnership commitments by failing to consult with Canadians about their draft action plan before meeting in Brazil this week (December 5, 2011) -- To see related CBC.ca article, click here

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Conservatives broke open government election promises in 2006, now hypocrital to criticize CBC's secrecy (Globe and Mail, November 25, 2011)

OP-ED: Elections Canada makes one ruling public, but keeps more than 2,280 other rulings secret (Rabble.ca on November 11, 2011, Tyee.ca and StraightGoods.ca on November 16, 2011, TheMarkNews.com on November 18, 2011, and in the Hill Times on November 21, 2011)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: As usual, lapdog federal Ethics Commissioner ignores ethics issues and rubberstamps Conservatives' actions as ethical (Hill Times, November 16, 2011)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Event on Parliament Hill organized by federal Conservative Cabinet ministers and involving lobbyists violates federal ethics rules and allows for secret lobbying (Hill Times, November 16, 2011)

WEBSITE ARTICLE: Federal Conservative Cabinet ministers Tony Clement, Peter Van Loan, Lisa Raitt and Conservative MPs and senators help private club with event, raising serious questions about ethics rule violations (Hill Times, November 15, 2011)