Think about any bad government decision that has upset you, and likely secret, unethical lobbying played a part in the decision. Secret, unethical lobbying must be stopped because it is a recipe for corruption, waste and abuse of the public interest, the environment and communities across the country.
Because of huge loopholes in lobbying laws, it is legal to lobby governments and politicians across Canada in secret.
Huge loopholes in ethics rules also allow lobbyists to fundraise for politicians, and give gifts and do other favours for politicians and government officials, in secret. Big money donations from lobbyists to politicians are also legal across Canada.
As well, lobby groups are not required to disclose how much they spend on lobbying on any issue, nor who funds them, which allows big businesses and other wealthy interests (including foreign governments, corporations and billionaires) to spend huge amounts of money secretly pushing their agenda, including by secretly funding front groups that are not actually supported by any or many Canadians.
Lobbying laws also need to be strengthened across Canada to make it illegal for lobbyists to mislead voters with false claims, misinformation or disinformation.
In other words, the laws across Canada are so weak and full of loopholes that they allow lobbyists to be secretly bankrolled by wealthy interests (including from other countries) to buy influence and trade favours with politicians and government officials in secret, all while misleading voters and everyone else.
Other big problems are that the watchdogs who enforce lobbying laws across Canada are often lapdogs who are chosen by politicians, and let violators off most of the time. Key changes are needed to ensure the watchdogs are fully independent from politicians, enforce the laws strictly and strongly, and penalize all violations.
All of these loopholes need to be closed to stop politicians and governments from doing secret, behind-closed-door deals with lobbyists that waste taxpayers’ money and hurt voters and communities across the country.
Incredibly, the federal Commissioner of Lobbying is proposing right now to weaken the ethics rules for lobbyists to allow them to do even more fundraising and other favours for federal Cabinet ministers, MPs and federal government officials, and then lobby them soon afterwards.
Also incredibly, MPs failed to review the federal lobbying law in 2017 as required by the law, and are continuing to fail to review the law now.
Politicians hear all the time from high-powered big business lobbyists who want to continue lobbying in secret and trading favours – they need to hear from many voters or they won’t do anything effective to stop secret, unethical lobbying.
Please Sign and Share this petition now to call for key changes to stop secret, unethical, dishonest lobbying of federal Cabinet ministers, MPs, political staff and government officials.
Please also click here now for more details, and to send your letter to key politicians for key changes to stop secret, unethical, dishonest lobbying across Canada!
And please also click here now to call for related changes to strengthen ethics rules for politicians and government officials across Canada!
Thank you for your support!
Background information:
Click here to see the federal Commissioner of Lobbying's December 2021 proposals to weaken the ethics rules for lobbyists who lobby the federal government and MPs.
