It doesn't look like we can count on any of our political parties to take transparency seriously. Not when they can serve their own interests by keeping secrets.
Members of Parliament have exempted the cash and benefits they receive from political parties and riding associations from restrictions and public disclosure under the House of Commons conflict-of-interest code.
The move was unanimously approved without a vote in the Commons after committee hearings conducted entirely in secret.
...
All four parties approved the change Thursday after a House rules committee and a subcommittee held eight meetings on the topic that were closed to the public.
If you read the rest of the article you'll find they also managed to co-opt the Ethics Commissioner by making her part of their secret process. Wouldn't that limit what she can say publicly in future cases where she has to review possible violations of the ethics code?
The next time any representative of any one of these political parties laments the cynicism of the public and the apathy displayed toward the political process, point to this and laugh in his face.
Phew .. The Canadian Parliament is learning from the Mother (fucker) of ALL Parliaments in Britain. Our boys will not be caught in scandles like them.
Not the operative thought there is 'be caught' - the scandles area is open for business.
So does this mean we can get our banner back with Parliament in flames? (I'm still trying to figure out that photo at the Star site.)
What is it about being elected to SERVE the people that turns too many into spoiled brats? Time to write a sternly worded letter to Jack and Gilles -- I hold out no hope for the others.
My god. I didn't think it was possible for me to become MORE bitter and cynical and twisted!
Jack and Gilles? Nuh uh.
That leaves us with the Rhinocerous Party.
This isn't a done deal until Elections Canada says it is, right?
Ottawa is even a darker and dirtier place than it was a week ago and I'm not sure a shower will suffice. Perhaps I'll take Carolyn Bennett's advice, whose motto is (scratch that) was - ”sunlight is the greatest disinfectant”.
Um yeah, for Vampires.
Oh I forgot. Hope your going to do a companion piece pogge. Funny how everyone is quietly tip-toeing around it, as if they are so outraged they still can't get past the 8 meetings of which we would still know nothing about if it wasn't for Conacher.
Great, just fucking great! Guess this means that Parliament Hill is now officially the only place in Canada to legalize whores! The only transparency I see here is in the fact that the MP's in that closed committee must have endorsed the use of a communal semi-transparent Polyurethane condom with which to fuck us. No doubt to protect them from slings and arrows of our justifiable moral outrage over a move that stretches credulity. Again, great, just fucking great!