Democracy Watch highlighted key problems with the changes made by Bill C-76 (which became law in December), and the federal government’s initiatives announced today, that together don’t do enough to stop secret, fake online election ads or false claims about candidates, or to protect voters’ privacy. “Bill C-76 weakens the rule that prohibits false claims about candidates, more … Read more
Democracy Watch called on Finance Minister Bill Morneau (Toronto Centre, Ont.) to make the key changes needed to stop gouging and abuse by Canada’s big banks. The call comes as Canada’s Big 6 Banks have once again reported record profits based on gouging Canadians – the 8th year in a row, and at $45 billion total more than double their 2010 … Read more
As Bill C-76 heads from the Senate back to the House of Commons with only one technical amendment, Democracy Watch highlighted some key problems. “Bill C-76 makes federal Canadian elections more dishonest and unfair because it allows more false claims about candidates, increases the spending limit for wealthy interest groups, and doesn’t do enough to stop … Read more
Democracy Watch filed a complaint with the federal Ethics Commissioner and a complaint with the federal Lobbying Commissioner calling for investigations into the preferential access that the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers have offered to fundraising “bundlers” who recruit 10 or more Laurier Club donors in a year, and into whether lobbyists are doing bundler fundraising for the Liberals. “A full investigation … Read more
Democracy Watch released the document it obtained through an Access to Information Act request that shows the Trudeau Cabinet had qualified candidates for both the Ethics Commissioner position and the Lobbying Commissioner position in spring 2017. “Democracy Watch is challenging the appointments of the new Ethics Commissioner and Lobbying Commissioner in court because Prime Minister Trudeau and his Cabinet ministers … Read more
Democracy Watch’s court case filed last January challenging the ruling in September 2017 by former Lobbying Commissioner Karen Shepherd that the Aga Khan’s Bahamas trip gift to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) was legal is being heard by the Federal Court in Ottawa. “Democracy Watch is challenging the Lobbying Commissioner’s ruling in court because it … Read more
Democracy Watch sent a letter to federal Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion calling on him to delegate an inquiry into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que. violating the federal government ethics law by giving preferential treatment to the companies and/or organizations or other individuals represented by several Liberal Party donors when he invited … Read more
Democracy Watch released details of the Federal Court of Appeal ruling it received in its case reviewing former Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson’s February 2016 decision to allow Finance Minister Bill Morneau (Toronto Centre, Ont.) to continue to secretly own $30 million of shares in Morneau Shepell Inc. “The court’s ruling strongly suggests that Ethics Commissioner Dawson … Read more
As the CRTC holds its week-long hearings and hears hundreds of stories about abusive sales practices and gouging by Canada’s large telecommunications companies, Democracy Watch and more than 30 other citizen and consumer groups called on the CRTC to work with the federal government to create a broad-based, well-resourced, consumer-run Telecom Consumer Organization using an innovative, low-cost, … Read more
As Bill C-76 heads back to the House of Commons from the House Procedure Affairs Committee, Democracy Watch called on MPs, among other key changes to the bill, to strengthen the rule in the Canada Elections Act prohibiting parties and candidates from baiting voters with false election promises, and not to narrow the scope of … Read more
