Letter to Prime Minister Chretien
Letter to Ethics Counsellor
OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has again called on aspirants for the Liberal party leadership to step aside from their Cabinet posts to remove any perception of conflict of interest or potential abuse and/or misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Cabinet posts and leadership campaigns: Like oil and water - they don't mix
" Finance Minister John Manley and Heritage Minister Sheila Copps are now running flat out to try and catch Paul Martin in the race to succeed Jean Chrétien while still occupying positions in Cabinet with enormous responsibilities, not to mention multi-billion dollar budgets at their disposal," stated CTF federal director Walter Robinson.
"Each announcement these two Ministers makes is covered by the cloud of leadership politics. This is a blatant conflict of interest," added Robinson. "We need to look no further than the 2000 Saskatchewan NDP leadership campaign or the 2002 Ontario PC leadership contest to see how parties in power - regardless of partisan stripe - abuse public dollars for private gain. There is no credible evidence to suggest that federal Liberals will act differently."
CTF first raised issue last August: PM must act if Ministers don't
" In a letter to the Prime Minister on August 27, 2002, we raised this issue - to no avail - and again in a national news release last October," said Robinson. "The Prime Minister's refusal to address this issue for nine months in inexcusable. Either Ministers Manley and Copps resign today or the PM should relieve them of their duties. After 40 years in public life, Mr. Chrétien should know by now that leadership is not vested in position, it is confirmed by action."
CTF writes to PM and Ethics Counsellor
The CTF has written to the Prime Minister and ethics counsellor Howard Wilson outlining its call for ministerial resignations for contestants in the Liberal leadership race. "One of the main attributes of leadership is to exercise unwavering ethical and principled judgment. The right thing to do - the Prime Ministerial thing for Ministers Manley and Copps to do, is to resign today," concluded Robinson. "If not, then the PM's choice is clear."
Is Canada Off Track?
Canada has problems. You see them at gas station. You see them at the grocery store. You see them on your taxes.
Is anyone listening to you to find out where you think Canada’s off track and what you think we could do to make things better?
You can tell us what you think by filling out the survey