Democracy Watch

Democracy Watch is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization, and Canada’s leading citizen group advocating democratic reform, government accountability and corporate responsibility.

Politics: clarify the rules

Jun 242013

Features

Clear job descriptions could mitigate political scandals.

by Tyler Sommers

Political scandals don’t have to define Canada – but the way we respond to them, might. Rather than fall into quibbling or despondency as incidents pile up federally (Senate expenses, Nigel Wright’s cheque, Trudeau’s speaking fee) and municipally (the arrests of Montreal mayor Michael Applebaum and Laval Mayor Gilles Villaincourt), Canadians could respond to recent events by insisting that legislators draw up clear rules and job descriptions.

Tell the PM: abolish the Senate

May 162013

Take action!

Abolition is no more complicated than reform, and more permanent.

from Democracy Watch

The Senate is unelected, unaccountable, unrepresentative, secretive, unethical and undemocratic — and a waste of your money. Many senators have their jobs only because they are friends of, or did favours for, a Prime Minister. They have their jobs (with you paying their salary) until age 75 even if they do little or nothing. Democracy Watch argues that shutting down the Senate is the easiest, least costly, and best solution to frequent Senate scandals. Constant, repeated attempts to clean up the Senate have failed for the past 145 years.

Click here to join with Canadians across the country who want to send a strong message to key politicians. Tell them that you want them to stop playing games and immediately take action to shut down the Senate!

Information Commissioner to investigate muzzling of federal scientists

Apr 012013

Canadian politics

Commissioner's decision comes after formal complaint, letter-writing campaign.

from Democracy Watch

Monday, April 1, 2013 — OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch expressed its pleasure with the fact that the Information Commissioner has officially confirmed they will conduct a full investigation into the muzzling of federal government scientists by the federal Conservative government.

The complaint was filed by Democracy Watch in collaboration with the University of Victoria’s Environmental Law Clinic over new federal government policies that attempt to muzzle scientists.

Democracy Watch to challenge Harperites dropping PBO

Mar 282013

Canadian politics

Parliamentary Budget Officer function vital, but needs enforcement powers.

from Democracy Watch

OTTAWA – On March 27, Democracy Watch announced that it is preparing a court challenge of the federal Conservatives’ illegal appointment of the Parliamentary Librarian as the interim Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO), and launched a national letter-writing campaign to make the PBO a fully independent and fully empowered watchdog.

Abolish the Senate already

Feb 142013

Features

An equal, elected and effective Parliament is possible.

by Tyler Sommers

The recent scandals involving senators offer more reasons to question the Senate's continued existence.

Urge Ottawa to enforce election laws

Jan 282013

Take action!

False robocalls and other election violations jeopardize Canadian democracy.

from Democracy Watch

You’ve heard lots of talk from politicians saying they are concerned about false election robocalls and enforcement of election laws, but it is clear politicians need to be pushed to make key changes to stop false election robocalls and strengthen enforcement.

False robocalls were received by tens of thousands of voters in more than 230 ridings during the spring 2011 federal election, and were also used to mislead voters in some recent provincial elections.

Conservatives way tardy on Robocalls law

Nov 262012

Canadian politics

56,000 messages call for transparency, enforcement.

from Democracy Watch

OTTAWA — On November 23, Democracy Watch called on the federal Conservatives to introduce a bill to ban false election robocalls and strengthen election law enforcement. They had previously promised to introduce the bill by the end of September, under a resolution that carried unanimously in Parliament last March.