Big Daddy’s accountabiliciousness knows no limits, boys and girls.
The Harper government's new lobbying law contains a truck-sized loophole that allows a registered lobbyist to arrange a meeting between a corporate client and a cabinet minister that might never have to be disclosed publicly.
Ooopsie. You know what’s even more unfortunate? Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition was asleep at the switch. Again.
Opposition MPs who vetted the new rules as the government's flagship accountability act passed through Parliament in 2006 failed to notice the provision in committee hearings or House debate.
Now guess who figured it out. No, really — guess.
The loophole was drawn to the attention of lobbyists themselves during a workshop on the law presented by Michael Nelson, the former registrar of lobbyists, as he outlined scenarios for new monthly reporting requirements under the act.
Other aspects of the reporting rules have already been criticized for excluding too much information, but the loophole in a clause involving the reporting of arranged meetings took even lobbyists by surprise.
Hilarious, wouldn't you agree? If, you know, by hilarious I mean colour me so not shocked at the flaming hypocrisy that infests every part of Big Daddy's government.
1 comment:
I noticed this too. Maybe Harper was right about parliament being "dysfunctional" because everyone fell down on the job here.
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