Thursday, April 29, 2010

Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Says Novelty Cheques Not In Contravention, But Not Good

MPs' using novelty cheques with personal or party identifiers on them to enhance their profiles and improve their electoral prospects is not covered by the concept of "private interest" as outlined in the conflict of interest code for MPs:

3(2) do[oes] not extend to cover the type of interests alleged to have been furthered in the requests under consideration. Those interests, namely the enhancement of the Members’ profiles and the improvement of their electoral prospects, are partisan political interests.

So all those Tories who used giant novelty cheques with their name on them are in the clear.

Nevertheless, Ms. Dawson finds the increasing employment of "partisan or personal identifiers in making government announcements raises concerns that should be addressed." Helpful hints as to a means of doing so are provided by way of reference to Ontario's Government Advertising Act and Alberta's Government of Alberta Communications Policy.

So there you have it.

13 comments:

Ti-Guy said...

32 pages to come to that lame decision?

I'm haven't been impressed with this ethics commissioner, who mostly seems to be protecting the abysmally-low ethical standards of politicians rather than a standard Canadians would like to see them live up to, for a change.

There's no doubt in my mind that sticking a big Conservative Party of Canada logo on a cheque drawn from public funds is a breach of ethics. Same for the Liberal Party; all it does it promote pointless partisan strife.

RuralSandi said...

Seems our Commissioners are afraid of Harper - losing their jobs.

Fire them.

Fred from BC said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Gallahad said...

Hey,

That post removed by the author was Fred from BC.

I will now save Fred the time and pen a response for him.

You Liberals just don't get it. No ethical standards were broken.

It is completely acceptable, to plaster a CPC, logo on a novelty cheque drawn from public funds.

How dare anyone question the CPC. They are saints, and God speaks to them directly.

Harper never breaks his word, and neither do any other conservatives.

Harper is running the most ethical, open, honest, and accountable government in Canadian history.

You Liberal cry babies should just get used to the fact that Harper will be in power forever.

There Fred, gave your response.

Now you can fuck off.

Gene Rayburn said...

ha ha that's pretty good Gallahad. You even got Fred's liquor inspired prose.

Ti-Guy said...

You forgot to mention Adscam, Gallahad.

CanadianSense said...

At least Ekos Pollster has good news with Liberal 0.3 ahead of 2008 election results.

Colvin bashing bad, Mary Dawson good.

Pattern at bashing women in power?

Ti-Guy said...

Pattern at bashing women in power?

Should women who have more power than the rest of us be exempt from verbal attacks?

Gene Rayburn said...

"Pattern at bashing women in power?"

and the government has done such an admirable job in the treatment of their own (guergis).

Are you stupid, drunk or did you just give yourself a home lobotomy to get that way Oakville Crackpot?

Tof KW said...

CanadianSense said...
At least Ekos Pollster has good news with Liberal 0.3 ahead of 2008 election results

Yes Harper should be pleased with that, coupled with the CPC being more than 6% below where they were from that exact time. He should call a snap election.

CanadianSense said...
Colvin bashing bad, Mary Dawson good. Pattern at bashing women in power?

How is calling her report 'lame' considered bashing? That's the worst, um, 'insult' I've seen here. I don't see anyone questioning here loyalty to the military, or calling her a Taliban sympathizer, or attacking her personally, or questioning the qualifications of her employment. Various Reformatories have done all these things in regards to Mr. Colvin.

CanadianSense, why do you keep coming here? Do you really enjoy having your ass handed back to you everytime?

Gallahad said...

Well since I penned a response for Fred from BC, I feel it only fair to author a post for the Oakville crackpot, and save the idiot the trouble.

Liberals=Taliban supporters, accuse troops of war crimes, record of bashing women remember ann coulter, against free speech, intolerant left?

Used to live in York South Weston, voted Nunziata, kicked out for voting against dictator chretien and gst. Moved to Oakville started support for CPC, great Mp gets lots done.

CPC uses blue, lead in stuff economy leadership Iffy where in poll?

You guys dustbin history headed, facts are facts pundits guide stats all against you.

Lets see where this game leads, supreme court need French, culture war abortion guns rural city,totonto strategists not know rural.

Climate change fallacy, poll not good.

Now I have give your response to TK, TG, and GR, you can also fuck off.

Gallahad said...

As TG pointed out I also forgot to mention Adscam.

Here is part II of the Oakville crackpot response.

Where is money stolen adscam, huh you guys not pay back, 29 perogies not show work,

keep vote in harper??

Nah, Nah, Nah,

Adscam, adscam adscam adscam adscam

Now I put you guys in place Huh

Ti-Guy said...

CanadianSense, why do you keep coming here? Do you really enjoy having your ass handed back to you everytime?

Blame Blogger and the Internet generally for that. If the trolls knew their IP's and identities could be more easily tracked, they'd refrain from commenting...well, anywhere at all, really.

As for why persistent trolls troll, God only knows. I've never met anyone, in my entire life who admits to the type of trolling they do.

I do suspect all those quiet, socially-awkward types I'm acquainted with, however.

My other theory is that it's a psy-ops campaign on the part of the Chinese/Russians to convince us that we're surrounded by irrational lunatics. ;)