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Did you know that secret, unethical lobbying and unethical decisions by Cabinet ministers are legal across Canada? And enforcement and penalties are very weak?

Did you know?

  • that more than 50 Cabinet ministers, including current federal Conservative ministers Jim Flaherty, Lisa Raitt, and Christian Paradis, and dozens more politicians, have been let off the hook for dangerously unethical activities in the past 20 years?
  • that Prime Minister Harper, and his most powerful staff person Nigel Wright, and every Cabinet minister across Canada, are allowed to make decisions that make themselves a lot of money?
  • that federal Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson, who used to work as a lawyer defending Cabinet ministers, has made more than 80 secret rulings in the past 5 years?
  • that more than 80 lobbyists have been let off the hook for secret, unethical lobbying in the past 10 years?

See below more facts about just how bad government ethics is across Canada (you WON’T believe it)!

Please join now with everyone across Canada by sending your letter calling on key politicians to strengthen ethics rules, enforcement and penalties, to stop unethical politicians and lobbyists in every government!  Please send this message to everyone you know across the country.

Federal politicians, and politicians in Ontario, B.C., Alberta, Quebec are reviewing ethics and lobbying rules right now – some in secret meetings.

They, and politicians in every other province and territory, need to hear from you that you want loopholes closed, enforcement watchdogs strengthened, and penalties increased – to help clean up politics across Canada.

Here’s how bad government ethics is across Canada (HINT: it’s unbelievably BAD):

  • Only politicians are allowed to file complaints about violations of ethics rules – the public is not allowed to file complaints even though politicians work for us and we pay them;
  • 2 federal Cabinet ministers (Jim Flaherty and Christian Paradis) violated the ethics law and were not penalized in any way (Prime Minister Harper even kept them Cabinet) – and since 1992 at least 50 other Cabinet ministers have been let off the hook when they clearly violated ethics rules;
  • secret lobbying is legal across Canada, and more than 80 lobbyists have been let off the hook for clear violations of federal lobbying rules in the past 10 years;
  • it’s legal for the Prime Minister, provincial premiers, and Cabinet ministers and the most powerful government officials across Canada to make decisions that help them, their families and friends make lots of money;
  • Senators’ ethics rules have huge loopholes and no penalties for violations, and they control the enforcement of their own ethics rules;
  • MP ethics rules also have huge loopholes -- including that lobbyists can pay for MPs and their families to go on trips anywhere in the world – and there are no penalties for violations (and penalties are weak across Canada);
  • the staff of MPs and senators are not even covered by any ethics rules (nor are the staff of most provincial politicians);
  • federal Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson has made more than 80 secret rulings in the past 5 years, and doesn’t do regular audits to ensure everyone is following the rules;
  • the federal Commissioner of Lobbying Karen Shepherd also doesn’t do regular audits, nor do the ethics and lobbying watchdogs across Canada;
  • overall, everything unethical that former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney did with arms dealer-lobbyist Karlheinz Schreiber is still legal;

All together we can make a difference and push politicians to clean up governments across Canada by stopping unethical politicians and lobbyists with stronger rules, enforcement and penalties -- please help win these changes by joining with everyone across Canada by sending your letter here

And please also help Democracy Watch keep this campaign going until the loopholes are closed in all government ethics laws across Canada, and enforcement strengthened and penalties increased  – please donate now here.

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee a day, only $10-20 a month, you can help win ethical government across Canada!

Thank you very much!

 

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