Democracy Watch wants to hold dishonest politicians accountable

This week on rabble radio, rabble contributor Doreen Nicoll speaks to Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch, to talk about two important campaigns by Democracy Watch.

The first, an 'honesty in politics' law which fines politicians who make false promises or misleading statements during elections and while in office. This campaign involves the proposal of an independent "watchdog agency," and gives the watchdog agency the power to investigate and penalize the politician caught lying.

The second campaign is focused on ending secret, unethical lobbying. Because of loopholes in lobbying laws, it is legal for lobbyists to be secretly bankrolled by wealthy interests to buy influence and trade favours with politicians and government officials in secret.

On this, Conacher says: "Secrecy is a recipe for corruption, waste and abuse of the public and the public interest."

Democracy Watch is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization, and Canada's leading citizen group advocating democratic reform, government accountability and corporate responsibility. Since its formation in 1993, Democracy Watch has won more than 200 changes to federal and provincial good government and corporate responsibility laws.

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