Democracy Watch says Trudeau’s Watchdog Appointments are a Charade

 DW calls for independent, merit-based appointment process. In a press release today Democracy Watch (DW) called on the Trudeau Cabinet to “stop its multi-year charade and establish an actually independent, merit-based appointment process for all the federal democratic good government watchdogs,” The independent and respected agency said the Trudeau Cabinet’s

Democracy Watch calls for Ottawa Police to investigate Trudeau and cabinet officials

 Democracy Watch says the RCMP lacks independence from cabinet and impartiality and competence to investigate obstruction of SNC-Lavalin prosecution.  Democracy Watch says that recently disclosed documents about RCMP Commissioner’s relationship with the PM and its investigation into Trudeau’s Aga Khan trip gift raise fundamental questions about the RCMP’s impartiality and competence

No regulations on big banking in the federal budget

 Introduced last week, the first federal budget in two years is a collection of grand gestures and big spending designed to handle the final waves and impending recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. But one element that will be vital to recovery on both a national and individual level—aid from big

Canada’s gluttonous banks and their greedy CEOs reel in record profits during pandemic

 Canada’s Big 6 Banks reported a 14 per cent increase in their 2021 first-quarter profits, and extremely high profits in 2020 totalling $41.13 billion, just $5.1 billion (12 per cent) less than in 2019 (BMO - $5.1B; CIBC - $3.8B; National - $2.08; RBC - $11.4B; Scotiabank - $6.85B; TD

Who you know: Democracy Watch Calls for accountability in judicial appointments

 It’s often said, when seeking a job or a step forward in a career, that it is not what you know, but who you know. Nowhere is that more true, apparently, than Canadian politics. But such connections can be questionable—even illegal—when they result in important appointments that dramatically affect the lives

Renewed call for telecommunications watchdog in wake of Rogers-Shaw deal

 The massive deal between communications giants Rogers and Shaw has thrown even more light on Canada’s cornered telecommunications market. High prices from lack of competition gouge customers nation-wide in their hunt for affordable television, phone, and internet service. According to Democracy Watch, simply making stronger rules won’t stop it. Instead,

Over 97,000 Canadians sign petition to fix big banking

 Canada’s largest six banks are some of the most profitable institutions in the world. Four of the six were included in Fortune’s Global 500 for 2020, with RBC at 15th, TD at 20th, Scotiabank at 32nd, and BMO at 50th. Of all the Canadian companies listed, all four banks are

Democracy Watch calls for update on SNC-Lavalin prosecution

 In February, 2019, the SNC-Lavalin scandal erupted and upended Canadian politics—for a moment. After a six-month-long investigation, Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion concluded Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alone had exerted undue pressure on Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to defer criminal prosecution of the construction company SNC-Lavalin. Though Dion’s report concluded that

The shameful behaviour of Canada’s greedy, gluttonous banks

 "The man who has won millions at the cost of his conscience is a failure." - B.C. FORBES Canada’s banking sector is an oligopoly consisting of six large banks (‘The Big 6’) who control an overwhelming proportion of the banking business across the country. They gouged out record profits of more

Democracy Watch challenges Ontario Integrity Commissioner over Premier Ford’s violation of ethics rules

 OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch released the application it has filed in Ontario Divisional Court challenging Ontario Integrity Commissioner David Wake’s refusal to issue a public ruling on Premier Ford’s Chief of Staff Dean French (and possibly other Ford staff) providing preferential treatment to Ford’s friend Ron Taverner, and also to Mario

More than a year later, Lobbying Commissioner still has not ruled on Facebook’s lobbying and favours for Liberal Cabinet

 Today, Democracy Watch sent a letter to federal Lobbying Commissioner Nancy Bélanger calling on her to ensure an independent ruling, before Parliament is shut down for the fall election, on the complaint letter it filed in late April 2018 about unregistered lobbying and doing favours for Cabinet and federal politicians

Democracy Watch gives Trudeau Liberal government an F in accountability and transparency

 Yesterday, as the Open Government Partnership Global Summit was being held in Ottawa, Democracy Watch issued its report card on the Trudeau Liberal open government record. Not surprisingly, the report card gives the Liberals an overall F grade. The excessive secrecy problems with the Trudeau Liberal government include: 1. Liberals promised several changes not

The SNC-Lavalin saga continues as the actions of board members Kevin Lynch and Eric Siegel raise questions about ethics law

 Today, Democracy Watch released the letter it has sent to federal Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion, calling on him to ensure an independent ruling on the activities of Kevin Lynch and Eric D. Siegel. Kevin Lynch, Canada's former highest "public servant", is the former Clerk of the Privy Council (2006-2009), Secretary to the

Integrity of The Office of the Ethics Commissioner questioned after Democracy Watch confirms Dion’s senior counsel is related to Liberal cabinet minister by marriage

 The Office of the Ethics Commissioner recently confirmed that its acting director of investigations, Martine Richard, is the sister-in-law to a Liberal cabinet minister. Ms. Richard heads the Investigations and Legal Services division of Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion’s office, and her sister Jolène is married to Trudeau Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc.

Liberal budget loopholes allow Canada’s biggest businesses to evade billions in taxes annually

 Did you know, 102 of Canada's biggest businesses evaded paying $62.9 billion in taxes in the past 6 years alone?  Today, non-partisan citizen advocacy organization, Democracy Watch, joins over 32,000 Canadians who have signed a petition calling on Finance Minister Bill Morneau to make key changes so that Canada's big businesses and banks pay

Ethics Commissioner must conduct investigation into alleged political direction in SNC-Lavalin prosecution

 Photo credit: Sean Kilpatrick (The Canadian Press) Today, Democracy Watch released the letter it has sent to federal Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion calling on him to delegate an inquiry into whether Prime Minister Trudeau or anyone in the PMO violated the federal government ethics law by trying to

Democracy Watch challenges Justin Trudeau’s biased, secretive appointment of new Lobbying Commissioner

 Photo credit: Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada via pm.gc.ca (DC) Today, Democracy Watch is in Federal Court in Ottawa for the hearing of its case challenging the Trudeau Cabinet’s appointment in December 2017 of the new Lobbying Commissioner. Democracy Watch argues that the Cabinet was biased and in a conflict of

Democracy Watch Files Court Case Challenging Ethics Commissioner

 Third court case filed concerning Ethics Commissioner – already challenging her illegal ethics screens, and her illegal re-appointment by Trudeau Cabinet Will soon file fourth case challenging Ethics Commissioner’s failure to remove herself from ruling on complaints about Morneau – she is biased due to past advice to him, and

Liberals and NDP score an “E” as best grade on Ontario Good Government Report Card

 It might not come as a surprise that our political parties are failing a report card based on integrity and keeping promises. Recently, Democracy Watch, a non-profit, non-partisan organization, released its latest Report Card on Ontario Parties’ Democratic Good Government Platforms. The Liberal Party and the NDP scored the highest

Group Launches National Letter-writing Campaign to Push Political Parties to Change Bill C-23 to Make Federal Elections Fair

 Democracy Watch recently called on the federal Conservatives to make the so-called “Fair Elections Act” (Bill C-23) actually fair, and detailed the 10 really unfair measures in the much-delayed bill which was supposed to be introduced in Parliament in September 2012, and the 10 missing measures that must be added

Democracy Watch Unloads on Harper Government for Chronic Lack of Accountability in Series of Cover-ups

 According to Democracy Watch, "biased, lapdog investigations mean cover-up of Senate scandal most likely outcome and public inquiry will be needed – Wright, Duffy should be found guilty of violating ethics rules, and possibly other laws "Ethics Commissioner has covered up twice already for Nigel Wright, Senate Ethics Officer is