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Here is a simple question: is it time to follow the lead of the Australians and establish an independent anti-corruption commission? 1/9 abc.net.au/news/2018-11-1…
The current Canadian approach to pursuing corruption -- whether material or in the guise of ethics-breaches -- is simply too fraught with lack of transparency, and generally tend to produce more heat than light. 2/9
The options for Canadians seeking redress of corrupt practices by their politicians and public servants are generally limited to: career-ending whistle-blowing; gamesmanship of parliamentary committees; scoldings by auditors general; or drawn-out RCMP investigations. 3/9
Whistle-blowing has a tendency to end up too focused on the complainant and not the complaint. RCMP processes have rigor but lack transparency and are relentlessly long and expensive. 4/9
As for committee investigations, the high-dudgeon response by politicians to any perceived misconduct often just leads to a the desensitizing of concern and "crying wolf". (That said, at the end of the story, the wolf was well fed.) 5/9
Continuing with the wolf analogy, Auditors General and ethics commissions are largely toothless. We are on the 5th ethics investigation of the current government alone. Remember the $200 fine assessed to the MP who forgot about his French villa? What was the point? 6/9
Since 1988, we have confronted a variety of major scandals -- Airbus, Shawinigate, Sponsorship, Senate expenses, and now SNC -- each with a different approach, largely providing more show than substance when it comes to changing processes and protecting the public interest. 7/9
As MPs work through the latest accusations they should also think about developing new approaches to fighting corruption that better protect the public interest. We need a response that goes beyond manufactured outrage and provides for both investigation and remediation. 8/9
The public needs confidence there is an accessible and responsive body available to confront corruption. Australia has a model that already works. IBAC, ICAC, and the ICC are all effective, independent, and accessible means of doing that. We have something to learn here. 9/9
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