First Step in Parliament A Giant Leap
for Government
April 12, 2006
Just as we promised, the new Conservative government
tabled the Federal Accountability Act this week, following
up on a pledge made by Stephen Harper before the federal
election campaign even began.
Yes, Bill C-2 is lengthy at 199 pages, but I would like
to provide the following overview to help you understand
exactly how it will strengthen accountability and increase
transparency in your federal government.
The Federal Accountability Act is part of a comprehensive
“Action Plan” through which the Conservative
government will:
• Reform financing of political parties by reducing
large donations to political parties and candidates;
• Ban secret donations to political candidates by
prohibiting electoral district associations and parties
from transferring money to their candidates from trust
funds;
• Strengthen the role of the Ethics Commissioner
by introducing a new Conflict of Interest Act and establishing
a new Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to
enforce it;
• Toughen the Lobbyists Registration Act by introducing
stricter rules for lobbyist activity and creating a new
Commissioner of Lobbying to enforce them;
• Ensure truth in budgeting with a Parliamentary
Budget Authority by creating the position of Parliamentary
Budget Officer to provide objective analysis to MPs and
parliamentary committees concerning the nation's finances,
the national economy, and the financial cost of proposals
under consideration by either House;
• Make qualified government appointments by introducing
a uniform process for appointing Agents and Officers of
Parliament and ensuring that public appointments are based
on merit;
• Clean up the procurement of government contracts
by enshrining in law a commitment to fairness, transparency,
and openness in the procurement process, and by appointing
an independent Procurement Auditor to provide additional
oversight;
• Clean up government polling and advertising by
preventing public opinion research and advertising contracts
from being used for partisan or personal benefit, and
by appointing an Independent Advisor to conduct a full
review of public opinion research practices;
• Provide real protection to whistleblowers who
disclose government wrongdoing by introducing specific
penalties for offences, granting powers to the new Public
Sector Integrity Commissioner, creating the Public Servants
Disclosure Protection Tribunal, providing public-sector
employees with legal support and rewards for those who
have the courage to expose wrongdoing in the workplace;
• Strengthen access to information legislation by
extending its reach and scope, and by tabling a draft
bill to further amend the Access to Information Act;
• Strengthen the power of the Auditor General by
expanding the reach and scope of the Auditor General's
investigative powers to help Parliament hold the government
to account;
• Strengthen auditing and accountability within
departments by clarifying the managerial responsibilities
of deputy heads, and by bolstering the internal audit
function within departments and Crown corporations; and
• Create a Director of Public Prosecutions, outside
the Department of Justice, with the authority to conduct
criminal prosecutions under federal law.
These steps will help to restore your faith in your government
and put Liberal scandals in the past.
However, as always, the single most important way to
earn your confidence in this new government is for me
to continue to represent you with integrity, honesty and
fairness.
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