OTTAWA -- An international group that tracks global graft says Canadians believe political parties are the most corrupt institution in the country.
The dubious distinction was awarded to Canada by Transparency International. The Berlin-based group made the determination in its latest global corruption barometer.
Canada's standing was determined based on a public opinion poll taken in the months after Auditor General Sheila Fraser accused the Liberal government run by Jean Chretien last year of "breaking every rule in the book" with the sponsorship scandal.
The survey was taken before the Gomery inquiry heard sensational allegations of Liberal party operatives stuffing their pockets with wads of cash while others were accused of pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars for little or no work.
Corruption is also seen to be rife among political parties in the United States and Israel, according to Transparency International's global corruption barometer, which attempts to measure corruption internationally from the point of view of ordinary citizens.
On a scale of one to five, where one indicates "not corrupt" and five indicates "extremely corrupt," Canada's political parties scored a 3.9 - same as the U.S. Israel received a 4.5.
The level of perceived corruption in Canada's Parliament was rated slightly higher at 3.6, compared to 3.5 for the U.S. legislature.
When it came to the impact of corruption on political life, Canada scored a 3.3, as opposed to 3.2 in the U.S.
Asked whether they expected the level of corruption to change over the next three years, 38 per cent said they believed it would increase, while 17 per cent said they thought it would decrease.
The barometer asks people about their opinions regarding which sectors of society are the most corrupt, which spheres of life are most affected, whether corruption has increased or decreased in relation to the past, and whether it is likely to be more or less prevalent in future, the organization said on its website.
Political parties were given the worst overall score and were seen as the most corrupt sector in 45 out of 69 countries this year, compared to 36 out of 62 countries last year.
"Parliaments received a similarly negative score, indicating widespread concern about the effects of corruption on political systems," the institution noted.
About 55,000 people in 69 countries were polled for the survey, which was carried out by Gallup International between May and October 2004. In Canada, the survey was conducted by Leger Marketing between June 6 and June 15, using a national sample of 1,001 respondents.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=de3296d8-ea07-4eeb-b9b8-dd2c8ea6c902&k=87629
The dubious distinction was awarded to Canada by Transparency International. The Berlin-based group made the determination in its latest global corruption barometer.
Canada's standing was determined based on a public opinion poll taken in the months after Auditor General Sheila Fraser accused the Liberal government run by Jean Chretien last year of "breaking every rule in the book" with the sponsorship scandal.
The survey was taken before the Gomery inquiry heard sensational allegations of Liberal party operatives stuffing their pockets with wads of cash while others were accused of pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars for little or no work.
Corruption is also seen to be rife among political parties in the United States and Israel, according to Transparency International's global corruption barometer, which attempts to measure corruption internationally from the point of view of ordinary citizens.
On a scale of one to five, where one indicates "not corrupt" and five indicates "extremely corrupt," Canada's political parties scored a 3.9 - same as the U.S. Israel received a 4.5.
The level of perceived corruption in Canada's Parliament was rated slightly higher at 3.6, compared to 3.5 for the U.S. legislature.
When it came to the impact of corruption on political life, Canada scored a 3.3, as opposed to 3.2 in the U.S.
Asked whether they expected the level of corruption to change over the next three years, 38 per cent said they believed it would increase, while 17 per cent said they thought it would decrease.
The barometer asks people about their opinions regarding which sectors of society are the most corrupt, which spheres of life are most affected, whether corruption has increased or decreased in relation to the past, and whether it is likely to be more or less prevalent in future, the organization said on its website.
Political parties were given the worst overall score and were seen as the most corrupt sector in 45 out of 69 countries this year, compared to 36 out of 62 countries last year.
"Parliaments received a similarly negative score, indicating widespread concern about the effects of corruption on political systems," the institution noted.
About 55,000 people in 69 countries were polled for the survey, which was carried out by Gallup International between May and October 2004. In Canada, the survey was conducted by Leger Marketing between June 6 and June 15, using a national sample of 1,001 respondents.
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=de3296d8-ea07-4eeb-b9b8-dd2c8ea6c902&k=87629