Tories Break Promise on Lobbying

[jdobbin]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...PStory/National

The Harper government broke its election promise yesterday to require ministers to record their contacts with lobbyists, instead ordering lobbyists to file monthly reports on their oral communication with federal officials.

Draft regulations published yesterday to accompany the government's Lobbying Act create a new public registry of contacts between lobbyists and senior government officials.

The registry will go further than the current system, under which lobbyists have to publicly disclose only who is paying them, which federal agencies they are targeting, and on which general files.

But the new registry will not require reports on e-mails or letters between senior government officials and lobbyists. It will keep tabs on only "oral and arranged communication."

The new regulations would not require lobbyists to report oral communications initiated by federal officials dealing with the development of policy, programs or legislation.

Duff Conacher of Democracy Watch said the new registry, with its emphasis on verbal and arranged contacts, will capture only a fraction of lobbying activities.

I guess this is another example of the Tories falling well short of what they promised in the election. The most egregious of course was the promise not to eliminate income trusts.

What they originally proposed was a good proposal. Why they've changed their minds now is a bit of a mystery. The Tory brass must have figured it would raise eyebrows. That is why this was released late on Friday.

Edited January 5, 2008 by jdobbin