Seth1968
04-12-2015, 06:23 PM
Uh, no. Not even close.
Just as companies are accountable to their owners and shareholders, so elected officials are accountable to their citizens and taxpayers. In the wake of the audits and even criminal charges that emerged after investigating Duffy, and senators Mac Harb (Liberal), Pamela Wallin (Conservative), and Patrick Brazeau (Conservative), it was clear that the culture of how these expenses are treated needed to change.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau took action. In October 2013, Mr Trudeau and all Liberal MPs and Senators began posting detailed itemized expenses viewable online. Then in June 2014, Mr. Trudeau tabled a private member's bill, Bill C-613, to require other parliamentarians to do the same.
The proposed bill, called the Transparency Act, would go much further than track expenses. It would open up the Board of Internal Economy, the parliamentary committee that controls the House of Commons budget. The bill would also empower the Information Commissioner to order the release of documents, and would make it easier and cheaper for Canadians to make an Access to Information request.
At second reading in parliament last week, Trudeau's bill won support from MPs of every political party -- with the Greens, the NDP, and the Bloc joining Liberals -- except one: the Conservatives.
Too bad it's all smoke and mirrors.
Just as companies are accountable to their owners and shareholders, so elected officials are accountable to their citizens and taxpayers. In the wake of the audits and even criminal charges that emerged after investigating Duffy, and senators Mac Harb (Liberal), Pamela Wallin (Conservative), and Patrick Brazeau (Conservative), it was clear that the culture of how these expenses are treated needed to change.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau took action. In October 2013, Mr Trudeau and all Liberal MPs and Senators began posting detailed itemized expenses viewable online. Then in June 2014, Mr. Trudeau tabled a private member's bill, Bill C-613, to require other parliamentarians to do the same.
The proposed bill, called the Transparency Act, would go much further than track expenses. It would open up the Board of Internal Economy, the parliamentary committee that controls the House of Commons budget. The bill would also empower the Information Commissioner to order the release of documents, and would make it easier and cheaper for Canadians to make an Access to Information request.
At second reading in parliament last week, Trudeau's bill won support from MPs of every political party -- with the Greens, the NDP, and the Bloc joining Liberals -- except one: the Conservatives.
Too bad it's all smoke and mirrors.