What's Bigger - PM's Ethical Deficit or Democratic Deficit ? (en francais)

After a question from NDP MP Ed Broadbent during Question Period yesterday regarding the ethics of rewarding ex-Liberal Cabinet Minister David Dingwall, the Prime Minister had this to say:

Paul Martin
"I take considerable exception to the reference by the Honourable Member to the low ethical standards of the ministers. I want this member to know the ethical standards of this Cabinet and the ethical standards of this government are of the highest. They should not be called into doubt," he said. (National Post, October 5, 2005)

I think PMPM needs to add a little lot of Ginko Biloba to his South Beach diet. In the meantime, I offer him these reminders:

50 Ways To Not Be Proud of Your 'Ethical' Record

(Ethical Deficit for short)

1. David Dingwall’s expenses as head of Royal Canadian Mint

2. Liberals planning to give David Dingwall a severance package after he resigned

3. Judy Sgro’s campaign volunteer (a stripper) getting ministerial permit

4. Sgro’s senior policy advisor going to strip club to meet with owner to discuss bringing more strippers into Canada. (National Post, November 25, 2004). Subsequent revelations indicate that he went to at least one other strip club to conduct similar meetings (Toronto Sun, December 7, 2004)

5. Sgro giving out details of private immigration files, violating Privacy Act

6. Allegations that Sgro broke the elections law in failing to properly identify the source of a campaign contribution. (Toronto Star, December 8, 2004).

7. Martin patronage-appointee Jim Walsh breaking ethics guidelines and attending Liberal Christmas Party (St. John’s Telegram, January 20, 2005).

8. Martin patronage appointee Glen Murray breaking ethics guidelines and attending Liberal Convention as delegate

9. Martin ignoring parliamentary committee and appointing Glen Murray as chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy

10. Joe Volpe keeping stripper visa program operating, despite having promised to shut it down (CTV.ca, March 5, 2005)

11. Jean Lapierre acting as lobbyist without registering

12. Joe Volpe trying to intimidating Sikh community

13. According to documents obtained by the Globe and Mail, Pierre Pettigrew billed Canadian taxpayers for $10,000 for trips for his driver in 2001 and 2002. Pettigrew took his driver to South America and Europe, even though the driver didn’t do any driving on the trips. (Globe and Mail, September 14, 2005)

14. Joe Volpe’s questionable hospitality expenses (Globe and Mail, September 21, 2005), including $138 for two people at a pizzeria

15. Minister Frulla’s renovations

16. Pay raises for chiefs-of-staff in ministers offices, while spending is frozen for public service.

17. The government’s changing numbers on how much money has gone to CSL

18. Lobbyists in Paul Martin’s transition team being allowed to return to lobbying immediately, after being involved in process of picking new cabinet and senior staff.

19. Martin using government jets to tour the country campaigning before election, spending over $1 million for air travel alone.

20. Calling an early election after earlier promising first to get to the bottom of the sponsorship scandal

21. $99 million Public Works contract that went to company overseen by Liberal fundraiser and future Senator Paul Massicotte (Montreal Gazette, June 26, 2004)

22. Parliamentary Secretary Dan McTeague’s 3-person, $224 trip to a Pizzeria

23. Immigration Minister Judy Sgro’s staff being allowed to stay on “extended travel” benefits, letting them bill taxpayers’ for thousands of dollars in hotel rooms and meals, because they didn’t want to move from Toronto to Ottawa until after the election.

24. Correctional Service of Canada Commissioner Lucie McClung’s travel expenses

25. Contracting irregularities on more than two dozen projects at DND worth tens of millions of dollars, showing over-billing, profit excesses, unauthorized additional work, lack of accounting records, spiralling cost overruns, etc. (Globe and Mail, July 14, 2004).

26. ACOA Minister Joe McGuire canceling ACOA loan and grant to ABL Industries Inc. because it would compete with company in his riding. (Fredericton Daily Gleaner, July 17, 2004).

27. Andy Mitchell’s chief of staff’s $22,000 in expenses to commute to Ottawa (Toronto Star, August 2, 2004).

28. André Ouellet’s travel and hospitality expenses at Canada Post.

29. Government delaying release of audit on Ouellet until after the election (Globe and Mail, July 31, 2004).

30. Martin’s principle secretary Francis Fox’s sister getting untendered contracts (The Province, July 27, 2004).

31. Continuing problems in advertising files at Public Works (Ottawa Sun, July 26, 2004).

32. A Liberal Party of Canada fundraising letter signed by Paul Martin, asking potential contributors to offer $7,000, $7,100 or $7,2000 in contributions – far in excess of donation limits passed by the very same Liberal government

33. Liberal Senator Raymond Lavigne violating municipal bylaws. Municipality pursuing legal action against him. (Ottawa Citizen, August 19, 2004).

34. Abuse of government credit cards by staff at Fisheries Department (CP Wire, September 24, 2004)

35. Hélène Scherrer using Challenger to fly to Banff during election to give partisan speech

36. Abuse of Challengers by Paul Martin and various ministers (eg. Andy Mitchell, Claudette Bradshaw)

37. Paul Martin taking Challenger jets to Liberal fundraisers

38. Challenger food bill of $508 per flight

39. Expenses during election filed by aide to Ralph Goodale

40. Questionable expenses during election filed by aides to Judy Sgro

41. Man convicted of fraud against government hired to teach ethics course to public servants (National Post, October 20, 2004).

42. Public Works selling confiscated grow-op equipment to drug traffickers. (National Post, October 21, 2004).

43. Pressure by Liberal MPs and ministers on ACOA to make funding decisions based on politics (New Brunswick Telegraph Journal, October 25, 2004).

44. Paul Martin’s Director of Communications Scott Reid insulting Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador (Toronto Star, October 28, 2004)

45. The Martin government spent $127,223 on a poll last February testing ways to diffuse negative reaction to the bombshell auditor-general's report -- which included the finding the Liberals ignored their own rules prohibiting the use of tax dollars on partisan polls (Vancouver Sun, November 8, 2004).

46. Irwin Cotler appointing his former chief-of-staff to federal court (National Post, November 23, 2004).

47. Heritage Minister Liza Frulla giving grant to magazine that put her on the cover and made her honourary president (Ottawa Citizen, November 25, 2004)

48. Despite promising an end to cronyism and patronage, Martin appointing various former Liberal MPs or Liberal candidates to patronage positions, including John Harvard, Yvon Charbonneau, Stan Keyes, Dennis Dawson, Francis Fox, Sophia Leung, Sarkis Assadourian, Karen Kraft Sloan, Dave Haggard and Glen Murray

49. Liberal Senator Michel Biron going to hearing to support killer Karla Homolka (CTV News, June 9, 2005)

50. Public Works contract watchdog Consulting and Audit Canada violating contracting rules (Toronto Star, July 4, 2005)

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