Making Politicians More Accountable to You.

May 20, 2009

Law-abiding Canadians believe in the rules of fair play.  Part of that fair play means being accountable for our actions. 
Politicians have to play by the rules like everyone else.  In fact, it’s even more important that their actions be clean, transparent and, above all, legal.

When our Conservative government was first elected in 2006, many Canadians were angered by the Liberal Sponsorship Scandal, where millions of Canadians’ tax dollars were funnelled into the pockets of Liberal party friends and supporters.

As a Party, the Conservatives responded by pledging to clean up government in Ottawa. And with our first piece of legislation, the Accountability Act, we began the process of making Canadian politics more transparent and open, helping to repair the damage and mistrust that developed as a result of the Liberal Sponsorship Scandal.

We cracked down on the way that lobbying happens in government. Now, not only must lobbyists register on the public record so everyone can see what they do and who they represent; they must also keep detailed information about what meetings they have with members of the government.  On top of that, we ensured that senior government officials have to wait five years before they may become a lobbyist.  It wasn’t right that people with access to confidential information could turn around and use it for private or corporate gain.

We limited individual political contributions to $1,100 per year. Limiting political contributions made by businesses or rich and powerful individuals ensured that having money didn’t mean you could also have more influence over the way business is run in Ottawa.
But more needs to be done; loopholes remain in this system.

Political loans are not covered by the restrictions on political donations and can exceed the established limit. They can also come from corporations and unions. This means that influence can still be bought. That’s not right.

That’s why our Conservative government recently introduced new legislation to close the loopholes surrounding political loans.

This new legislation includes ensuring that political loans can be looked at under the same sort of microscope as political donations.
Now, loans will be limited to $1,100 and they can’t be made by unions or big corporations.  It means that political candidates can’t pull the wool over the public’s eyes by filling their coffers with big corporate loans which would give them an unfair advantage over other candidates.

In addition, we are brining Senators and MPs under the umbrella of the same Ethics Officer. That means that everyone in government, whether they are elected or appointed, will be held to the same rules and standards of ethics. This new action is just another measure we are taking to help ensure that everyone in government is accountable to the Canadians they represent on a daily basis.

The Conservative government is the Party of hardworking Canadian families who play by the rules. We don’t believe that having more money or more power should entitle anyone in this country to have more influence over a politician or a political Party. That’s why, by making the system more accountable for you, we are helping all Canadians have confidence that your elected officials are acting for you, not acting for themselves — or the highest bidder.