DOCSLIB.ORG

Gomery Report

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Gomery Report GOMERY REPORT: ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL Introduction On November 1, 2005, Justice John sions, had been paid to advertising and Focus Gomery released the first part of his communications companies operating This News in Re- long-awaited report on the sponsorship in Quebec, often for work that was not view story focuses on the Gomery scandal. Gomery began his investiga- even done. All of these companies were Commission Phase I tion into the scandal in September 2004. known to be close supporters of the Report on the His report pointed an accusing finger at Liberal Party in Quebec. In response to sponsorship scandal some prominent figures inside the a massive public outcry, Prime Minister that plagued Paul administration of Jean Chrétien, includ- Martin promised a full investigation Martin’s minority ing the former Liberal prime minister into the scandal. He fired Gagliano Liberal government for over a year. The himself. However, Paul Martin, the from his new position as ambassador to report cast a dark current prime minister, was totally Denmark and he promised to resign if shadow on former exonerated. The scandal involved the there was any evidence that he had been prime minister Jean misappropriation of millions of dollars involved in any fraudulent activity, or Chrétien’s legacy. of taxpayers’ money that had been had even known about it while he Our story summa- rizes the main illegally channeled into the pockets of served as finance minister in Chrétien’s findings of the advertising executives and others close administration. He also dismissed the report, assesses its to the Quebec wing of the Liberal Party heads of three Crown corporations that possible implica- in the period following that province’s Fraser’s report had found were involved tions, and examines 1995 sovereignty referendum. The in the transfer of money through ques- its likely impact on the federal election extremely narrow federalist victory in tionable means to Quebec advertising to be held in that vote had convinced Chrétien and agencies during the sponsorship pro- January 2006. his advisors that the federal government gram. needed to embark on an aggressive The opposition political parties, marketing campaign to sell the benefits especially Stephen Harper’s Conserva- Did you know . of remaining in Canada to Quebec tives, eagerly seized on the sponsorship The 1995 Quebec voters. In order to promote national scandal as evidence of deep-seated referendum was unity, millions of dollars were ear- Liberal corruption and exploited the won by federalists marked to sponsor events and activities issue aggressively during the 2004 by the narrowest of inside the province that would show- federal election campaign. But despite margins. In fact, 49.4 per cent voted case the federal government. The the widespread disgust the scandal had “yes” to start the project fell under the administration of triggered in the minds of many voters, process of separa- the federal Public Works Department, Martin’s Liberals were able to squeak tion from Canada under the direction of Alfonso through to victory with a minority and 50.6 per cent Gagliano, a Quebec Liberal cabinet government. A year later, as even more voted “no.” A few minister who was also Chrétien’s damning evidence of the extent of the thousand votes were the difference. lieutenant in the province. scandal began to emerge from For many years, unproven allegations Gomery’s inquiry, it appeared that of abuses in the spending of public Martin’s government was in danger of funds in the federal sponsorship pro- being ousted in a non-confidence gram had swirled around Ottawa. Then, motion. Although the Liberals narrowly in early 2004, Auditor General Sheila survived that challenge, they knew that Fraser delivered a damning report, once Gomery’s report was made public, finding that approximately $100-mil- they would face another backlash of lion, in the form of fees and commis- public outrage and political attack. CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 6 To pre-empt this, Martin promised Gomery Commission Phase I Report Definition that he would call a federal election that his party would no longer support Crown corporations within 30 days of the release of the the Liberals in Parliament. The NDP are corporations owned by the second part of Gomery’s report, ex- would vote with the other opposition provincial or fed- pected in February 2006. This section groups to defeat Martin’s government eral governments. will lay out specific proposals for the on a non-confidence motion. Thus, by In effect, this government to act on, in order to pre- late November 2005, it appeared almost makes their citizens vent any other such scandal from ever certain that Canadians were heading for the true owners. occurring again. But Martin’s pledge the polls after an election campaign that did not satisfy the opposition parties, would span the holiday season. It who were pressing for a federal election seemed highly likely that the findings Did you know . much sooner. The Bloc Québécois, of Gomery’s report, and the allegations A “non-confi- whose popularity had surged in Quebec of corruption and abuse of public funds dence” motion is a motion designed to in the aftermath of the scandal and were they entailed, would become a key issue test whether a eager for another election, lined up during the ensuing electoral battle that legislature supports solidly behind the Conservatives. would determine the fate of Paul the existing gov- Finally, NDP leader Jack Layton an- Martin’s Liberal government. ernment. In Cana- nounced shortly after the release of the dian parliamentary tradition, if a government loses a To Consider motion of non- 1. What is the “sponsorship scandal”? confidence, it should resign immediately. 2. Why has the sponsorship scandal posed such a serious problem for Prime Minister Paul Martin’s Liberal government? 3. What impact has this scandal exerted on federal politics in Canada since the details of it first emerged? What are its further implications likely to be for 2006? 4. Do you think that the federal government should spend millions of dollars advertising the benefits of Canada to Quebecers? Explain. CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 7 GOMERY REPORT: ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL Video Review 1. What political party is frequently called “Canada’s natural governing Answer the ques- party”? Why? tions as you view the video. Check with your teacher to ensure that you understand the 2. Who is Sheila Fraser? What did she find in the report she issued in Febru- questions and have ary 2004? correct responses. 3. Who is the civil servant in the Public Works Department who “blew the whistle” on abuses of public funds in his department? For what senior bureaucrat did he work? What happened to him after he made his revelations public? 4. What are two specific examples of misuse of public funds under the fed- eral sponsorship program that are referred to in the video? 5. What evidence is there that funds illegally directed to the Quebec Liberal Party as a result of the scandal may have influenced the result of the 1997 federal election? 6. What role did each of the following people play in the sponsorship pro- gram? a) Chuck Guité _______________________________________________________ b) Jean Brault ________________________________________________________ c) Alfonso Gagliano __________________________________________________ d) Jacques Corriveau __________________________________________________ 7. What degree of responsibility for the scandal did Gomery attribute to former prime minister Jean Chrétien? CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 8 8. How did each of the following political leaders respond to the findings of the Gomery Commission Phase I Report? a) Jean Chrétien b) Paul Martin c) Opposition Leader Stephen Harper d) NDP Leader Jack Layton e) Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe 9. What recommendations will be included in the second part of the Gomery report? 10. What impact might the Gomery report have on the next federal election, in January 2006? 11. In your opinion, what lessons can be drawn from the sponsorship scandal? 12. How has the sponsorship scandal influenced your view of Canadian poli- tics and politicians in Canada? CBC News in Review • December 2005 • Page 9 GOMERY REPORT: ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL Timeline of a Scandal October 30, 1995 – The Quebec May 23, 2001 – Federal Ethics Coun- Review the timeline sovereignty referendum results in an sellor Howard Wilson clears Gagliano of major events in extremely narrow victory for the feder- of any conflict of interest in awarding this somewhat complex case and alist “no” side. In response to this threat contracts to advertising companies in then respond to to national unity, the Liberal govern- Quebec under the sponsorship program. ment of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien the questions that September 2001 – Communication follow. initiates a program to promote federal- Canada is created, assuming responsi- ism inside Quebec and hires advertising bility for the sponsorship program from and communications companies. the Public Works Department. Update November 1997 – The federal spon- As of May 2004, the January 15, 2002 – Prime Minister sorship program is created, to be man- Ethics Counsellor Chrétien drops Gagliano from the had been renamed aged by the Communications Co- cabinet and appoints him ambassador to the Ethics Commis- ordination Service Branch of the federal Denmark. He denies that the move has sioner. For further Public Works Department. Chuck any connection to the sponsorship information about Guité, a senior bureaucrat, is named scandal. this person, visit director of the program. www.parl.gc.ca/ May 8, 2002 – Federal Auditor Gen- oen/en. August 1999 – Guité retires and is eral Sheila Fraser releases a report replaced by Pierre Tremblay, former charging that the federal government chief of staff to Alfonso Gagliano, “broke just about every rule in the Further Research federal Public Works Minister.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Rt. Honourable Paul Martin by Tahreem Fatima
    Rt. Honourable Paul Martin By Tahreem Fatima Former Prime Minister Paul Martin is optimistic about the role of indigenous youth in the future but says there is much work still to do on the indigenous file. Although 82 and retired from politics, Martin continues to play a significant role designed to provide indigenous people with opportunities and resources to succeed. "I created a foundation when I stepped down from government. The purpose of the (foundation) is to work with Canada's indigenous people in terms of the various matters that they face, primarily education but also, economic issues with the indigenous people." Martin played various political roles: he was a member of Parliament for 20 years, finance minister for a decade and was the 21st prime minister of Canada from 2003- 2006. After retiring from a full political career spread over nearly three decades, he is now busy with his foundation, Martin Family Initiative. It is a charity aimed at improving education, health and well-being outcomes for Indigenous children and youth in Canada. Looking back, Martin points to the Kelowna Accord as his most significant achievement as prime minister. The accord was a series of agreements between the Government of Canada, first ministers of the provinces, territorial leaders, and the leaders of five national Aboriginal organizations in the country. It was a 10-year plan, with a $5-billion agreement to close the social and economic gap within five years between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. The purpose of the accord was to improve Aboriginal peoples' education, employment, and living conditions with government funding and other programs.
    [Show full text]
  • Core 1..104 Hansard (PRISM::Advent3b2 6.50.00)
    CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 138 Ï NUMBER 116 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 37th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday, June 11, 2003 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) All parliamentary publications are available on the ``Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire´´ at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 7131 HOUSE OF COMMONS Wednesday, June 11, 2003 The House met at 2 p.m. challenged clients received a donation from Sun Country Cable, a donation that will enable the centre to continue its work in our Prayers community. Sun Country Cable donated the building. This building is next to Kindale's existing facility and both properties will eventually lead to construction of a new centre. In the meantime, the Ï (1405) building will be used for training and respite suites. [English] I am proud to be part of a community that looks out for those less The Speaker: As is our practice on Wednesday we will now sing fortunate. Charity does begin at home. O Canada, and we will be led by the hon. member for Winnipeg North Centre. *** [Editor's Note: Members sang the national anthem] [Translation] SOCIÉTÉ RADIO-CANADA STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS Mr. Bernard Patry (Pierrefonds—Dollard, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I would like to share some of my concerns about the recent decision [English] by Société Radio-Canada to cancel its late evening sports news. CHABAD Hon. Art Eggleton (York Centre, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I rise to I am worried, because last year this crown corporation had also decided to stop broadcasting the Saturday night hockey games, La pay tribute to Chabad Lubavitch which is the world's largest network Soirée du hockey.
    [Show full text]
  • Canada and the Middle East Today: Electoral Politics and Foreign Policy
    CANADA AND THE MIDDLE EAST TODAY: ELECTORAL POLITICS AND FOREIGN POLICY Donald Barry Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper came to power in 2006 with little experience in foreign affairs but with a well developed plan to transform his minority Conservative administration into a majority government replacing the Liberals as Canada’s “natural governing party.”1 Because his party’s core of Anglo-Protestant supporters was not large enough to achieve this goal, Harper appealed to non- traditional Conservatives, including Jews, on the basis of shared social values. His efforts were matched by those of Jewish leaders and the government of Israel to win the backing of the government and its followers in the face of declining domestic support for Israel and the rise of militant Islamic fundamentalism. These factors accelerated a change in Canada’s Middle East policy that began under Prime Minister Paul Martin, from a carefully balanced stance to one that overwhelm- ingly favors Israel. Harper’s “pro-Israel politics,” Michelle Collins observes, has “won the respect—and support—of a large segment of Canada’s organized Jewish community.”2 However, it has isolated Canada from significant shifts in Middle East diplomacy and marginalized its ability to play a constructive role in the region. Harper and the Jewish Vote When he became leader of the Canadian Alliance party, which merged with the Progressive Conservatives to form the Conservative Party of Canada in 2004, Tom Flanagan says that Harper realized “The traditional Conservative base of Anglophone Protestants [was] too narrow to win modern Canadian elections.”3 In a speech to the conservative organization Civitas, in 2003, Harper argued that the only way to achieve power was to focus not on the tired wish list of economic conservatives or “neo-cons,” as they’d become known, but on what he called “theo-cons”—those social conservatives who care passionately about hot-button issues that turn on family, crime, and defense.
    [Show full text]
  • Alternative North Americas: What Canada and The
    ALTERNATIVE NORTH AMERICAS What Canada and the United States Can Learn from Each Other David T. Jones ALTERNATIVE NORTH AMERICAS Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars One Woodrow Wilson Plaza 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20004 Copyright © 2014 by David T. Jones All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author’s rights. Published online. ISBN: 978-1-938027-36-9 DEDICATION Once more for Teresa The be and end of it all A Journey of Ten Thousand Years Begins with a Single Day (Forever Tandem) TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1 Borders—Open Borders and Closing Threats .......................................... 12 Chapter 2 Unsettled Boundaries—That Not Yet Settled Border ................................ 24 Chapter 3 Arctic Sovereignty—Arctic Antics ............................................................. 45 Chapter 4 Immigrants and Refugees .........................................................................54 Chapter 5 Crime and (Lack of) Punishment .............................................................. 78 Chapter 6 Human Rights and Wrongs .................................................................... 102 Chapter 7 Language and Discord ..........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Core 1..96 Hansard
    CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 140 Ï NUMBER 012 Ï 1st SESSION Ï 38th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday, October 20, 2004 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) All parliamentary publications are available on the ``Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire´´ at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 597 HOUSE OF COMMONS Wednesday, October 20, 2004 The House met at 2 p.m. EDMONTON Mr. Peter Goldring (Edmonton East, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Prayers democracy was exemplified in the arena of election culminating on Monday, October 18 in Edmonton. Ballots were tallied, soon making clear the citizens' choice was for change. Ï (1400) The new mayor of Edmonton is Stephen Mandel, considered to be [English] fiscally responsive, with a keen social conscience for the less The Speaker: As is our practice on Wednesday we will now sing fortunate and homeless. Former Mayor Bill Smith who has served O Canada, and we will be led by the hon. member for Timmins— Edmonton honourably for three terms failed to elicit sufficient James Bay. electoral support to continue. [Members sang the national anthem] New to council are Linda Sloan in Ward 1, Kim Krushell in Ward 2 and Mike Nickel in Ward 5. They join with nine returning Ï (1400) councillors to effect the will of Edmontonians. Democracy is at work in Edmonton. I extend congratulations to Mayor Mandel and to all new and returning city councillors. Edmontonians are looking forward to enhanced dialogue and improved cooperation among their federal, provincial and municipal STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS governments.
    [Show full text]
  • The Liberals: a House Divided Introduction
    The Liberals: A House Divided Introduction “I will fulfill my mandate and focus entirely on governing from now until February Focus 2004. At which time my work will be done and at which time my successor will be In an unprec- chosen. And then, at the age of 70, I will look back with great satisfaction as I take edented move against a sitting my rest with Aline, secure in the knowledge that the future of Canada is unlim- Canadian prime ited.” — Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, August 21, 2002 minister, a signifi- cant number of Struggle for Power media and political organizers, the buzz Liberal Party mem- The summer of 2002 will be remem- about his future grew louder and louder. bers appeared The Martin camp was particularly ready to vote bered for both the hot weather and the against Jean equally hot political battle waged within active in promoting their man for the Chrétien in a the ranks of the Liberal Party of next leadership campaign. They built a planned leadership Canada. Open political warfare raged powerful organization and raised sub- review next year. inside the heart of Canada’s most stantial funds. Incensed by this pressure The split in the to leave, Chrétien and Martin had a Liberal camp was successful political machine. A party highlighted this that traditionally rallied around its falling out, and Martin left cabinet. spring when Paul leader appeared ready to tear itself apart Liberals were increasingly divided Martin, one of the over the question of leadership. and feared an open battle at a planned main contenders to After the Liberal victory of 2000, convention to review Chrétien’s leader- replace the PM, attention was drawn to the question of ship in February 2003.
    [Show full text]
  • Proquest Dissertations
    COMMEMORATING QUEBEC: NATION, RACE, AND MEMORY Darryl RJ. Leroux M.?., OISE/University of Toronto, 2005 B.A. (Hon), Trent University, 2003 DISSERTATION SUBMITTED G? PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Department of Sociology and Anthropology CARLETON UNIVERSITY Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario June 2010 D 2010, Darryl Leroux Library and Archives Bibliothèque et ?F? Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l'édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OttawaONK1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-70528-5 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-70528-5 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l'Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, électronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriété du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protège cette thèse. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Canadian Federal Dynamic What Does It Mean for Canada-US Relations? Canada’S Political Spectrum
    The New Canadian Federal Dynamic What does it mean for Canada-US Relations? Canada’s Political Spectrum Leader: Justin Trudeau Interim Leader: Rona Leader: Thomas Mulcair Ambrose Party Profile: Social Party Profile: Populist, liberal policies, historically Party Profile: Social democratic fiscally responsible liberal/conservative, socialist/union roots fiscally pragmatic Supporter Base: Urban Supporter Base: Canada, Atlantic Supporter Base: Quebec, Urban Canada Provinces Suburbs, rural areas, Western provinces Leader: Elizabeth May Leader: Vacant Party Profile: Non-violence, social Party Profile: Protect/Defend justice and sustainability Quebec interests, independence Supporter Base: British Supporter Base: Urbana & rural Columbia, Atlantic Provinces Quebec Left Leaning Right Leaning 2 In Case You Missed It... Seats: 184 Seats: 99 Seats: 44 Popular Vote: 39.5% Popular Vote: 31.9% Popular Vote: 19.7% • Swept Atlantic Canada • Continue to dominate in the • Held rural Québec • Strong showing in Urban Prairies, but support in urban • Performed strongly across Canada – Ontario, Québec, and centres is cracking Vancouver Island and coastal B.C. B.C. 3 Strong National Mandate Vote Driven By • Longest campaign period in Canadian history – 78 Days • Increase in 7% in voter turnout • “Change” sentiment, positive messaging…. sound familiar? 4 The Liberal Government The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau Prime Minister “…a Cabinet that looks like Canada”. • 30 Members, 15 women • 2 aboriginal • 5 visible minorities • 12 incumbents • 7 previous Ministerial
    [Show full text]
  • Mcgill's FACULTY of LAW: MAKING HISTORY
    McGILL’S FACULTY OF LAW: MAKING HISTORY FACULTÉ DE DROIT FACULTY OF LAW Stephen Smith Wins Law’s Fourth Killam Comité des jeunes diplômés : dix ans déjà! Breaking the Language Barrier: la Facultad habla español Boeing Graduate Fellowships Take Flight Une année dynamique pour les droits de la personne CREDITS COVER (clockwise from top): the 2007-2008 Legal Methodology teaching assistants; three participants at the International Young Leaders Forum (p. 27); James Robb with friends and members of the Faculty Advisory EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Board (p. 10); Killam winners Stephen Scott, H. Patrick Glenn and Roderick Macdonald (p. 22); announcement of the Boeing Fellowships (p. 13); Human Rights Working Group letter-writing campaign (p. 6). Derek Cassoff Jane Glenn Diana Grier Ayton Toby Moneit-Hockenstein RÉDACTRICE EN CHEF Lysanne Larose EDITOR Mark Ordonselli 01 Mot du doyen CONTRIBUTORS 03 Student News and Awards Andrés J. Drew Nicholas Kasirer 06 A Lively Year for the Human Lysanne Larose Rights Working Group Maria Marcheschi 06 Seven Years of Human Rights Neale McDevitt Internships Toby Moneit-Hockenstein Mark Ordonselli 08 The Career Development Jennifer Smolak Office and You WHERE ARE OUR Pascal Zamprelli 09 Dix ans déjà! ALUMNI-IN-LAW? CORRECTEUR D’ÉPREUVE 10 The James Robb Award Peter Pawelek 11 Les Prix F.R. Scott de service PHOTOGRAPHERS exemplaire Claudio Calligaris Owen Egan 12 New Hydro-Québec Scholars Paul Fournier in Sustainable Development Kyle Gervais 13 Boeing Gives Legal Lysanne Larose Maria Marcheschi Scholarship Wings
    [Show full text]
  • Tuesday, June 20, 1995
    VOLUME 133 NUMBER 222 1st SESSION 35th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday, June 20, 1995 Speaker: The Honourable Gilbert Parent HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, June 20, 1995 The House met at 10 a.m. (1005) _______________ [Translation] COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE Prayers ENVIRONMENT _______________ Hon. Charles Caccia (Davenport, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS of the Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development, on the statutory review of the Canadian Environ- mental Protection Act. [English] The report, entitled It’s About Our Health! Towards Pollution GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO PETITIONS Prevention in English and Notre santé en dépend! Vers la prévention de la pollution in French, contains 141 recommenda- Hon. Alfonso Gagliano (Secretary of State (Parliamentary tions and is the result of 12 months of lengthy hearings held in Affairs) and Deputy Leader of the Government in the House Ottawa and all parts of the country. of Commons, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the [English] government’s response to 10 petitions. The report perhaps could be summarized as urging Parliament and the government to adhere to the fact that the protection of * * * humans and ecosystems requires strong federal leadership, [Translation] including national standards and mirror legislation in close co–operation with provinces and territories. INTERPARLIAMENTARY DELEGATIONS I thank the members of all parties for their co–operation and Mr. Don Boudria (Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, Lib.): full commitment in the production of this report. I thank the Mr.
    [Show full text]
  • Effects of Scandals on Voter Turnout in Canada
    Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies Volume 32 Article 12 2015 Effects of Scandals on Voter Turnout in Canada Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sigma Part of the International and Area Studies Commons, and the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation (2015) "Effects of Scandals on Voter Turnout in Canada," Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies: Vol. 32 , Article 12. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/sigma/vol32/iss1/12 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Effects of Scandals on Voter Turnout in Canada by Terrance Kutney Although there has been much research done regarding the effects of political scandals on the voting share won by a political party, little research has been done on the effect of political scandals on voter turnout. This is especially true in the context of Canadian politics. This work analyzes the effect of the Canadian sponsorship scandal on voter turnout, primarily using the 2004 and 2006 iterations of the Canadian Election Study. It finds a positive rela- tionship between anger about the sponsorship scandal and the probability of voting. Closer analysis of the 2004 election shows that voters who were angry about the sponsorship scandal increased their political activity leading up to the election and were thus more likely to vote. Introduction On 19 May 2013, Nigel Wright resigned his position as chief of staff to the Cana- dian Prime Minister, having been implicated in what is now known as the Canadian Senate Expenses Scandal.
    [Show full text]
  • Ministerial Staff: the Life and Times of Parliament’S Statutory Orphans
    MINISTERIAL STAFF: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF PARLIAMENT’S STATUTORY ORPHANS Liane E. Benoit Acknowledgements Much of the primary research in support of this paper was gathered through interviews with more than twenty former and current public servants, lobbyists, and ex-exempt staff. I am sincerely grateful to each of them for their time, their candour and their willingness to share with me the benefit of their experience and insights on this important subject. I would also like to acknowledge the generous assistance of Cathi Corbett,Chief Librarian at the Canada School of Public Service,without whose expertise my searching and sleuthing would have proven far more challenging. 145 146 VOLUME 1: PARLIAMENT,MINISTERS AND DEPUTY MINISTERS And lastly, my sincere thanks to C.E.S Franks, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Political Studies at Queen’s University, for his guidance and support throughout the development of this paper and his faith that, indeed, I would someday complete it. 1 Where to Start 1.1 Introduction Of the many footfalls heard echoing through Ottawa’s corridors of power, those that often hit hardest but bear the least scrutiny belong to an elite group of young, ambitious and politically loyal operatives hired to support and advise the Ministers of the Crown. Collectively known as “exempt staff,”1 recent investigations by the Public Accounts Committee and the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities,hereafter referred to as the “Sponsorship Inquiry”, suggest that this group of ministerial advisors can, and often do, exert a substantial degree of influence on the development,and in some cases, administration, of public policy in Canada.
    [Show full text]