Is Justin Trudeau picking up the reform cause?

[Cobalt_Kid]

The big thing with the reform movement was to clean up corrupt politics in Ottawa, now that the conservatives are at the center of that corruption it looks like the mantle has passed to Justin Trudeau to do that. This isn't going down well with conservative supporters who apparently care more about their parties fortunes than the fortunes of Canada.

Justin Trudeau's Expenses Announcement Crashed By Tory Protesters

Justin Trudeau’s first official policy announcement as Liberal leader, a plan to improve accountability of MPs and senators, was interrupted Wednesday by young Conservatives who chanted “Justin loves the status quo” and held signs parroting Tory attack ads that claim “Justin is in over his head.”

Trudeau pledged Wednesday to post online the travel and hospitality expenses of all his MPs, senators and staff starting this fall — part of a four-point plan to increase transparency in the Senate and the House of Commons. He made the announcement outside Parliament as a symbolic expression of openness.

But soon after he took to a podium near the Centennial Flame, Trudeau’s press conference was disrupted by placard-carrying protesters. The Liberal leader told reporters Conservatives were worried about the level of transparency and openness that Liberals “were serious about demonstrating.”

“They want to change the channel, they want to talk about anything else but we are going to talk about how we are restoring Canadians’ confidence in the Senate,” he said.

Instead of just talking about transparency and accountability as the reform did, Justin Trudeau will be taking actual steps to create greater transparency and accountability within his party and Parliament.

As first reported by The Huffington Post Canada, Trudeau’s four-point plan will give the public access to the expense claims filed by members of his caucus.

“Our reports are going to be put online, we are going to be very transparent about this approach and we are going to just start doing it and not wait for the others to do it,” Trudeau said. “We hope that the other parties will take on and agree to this level of transparency.”

Trudeau also informed his caucus Wednesday that he wants all the Board of Internal Economy meetings public, unless sensitive matters are discussed, and said the party will table legislation that would make the committee that administers the House’s affairs more open. The Senate’s committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration already holds part of their meetings in public.

“We are hoping that maybe by making this proposal, the government will be interested in bringing legislation themselves that would probably pass very swiftly. But if they don’t do that, we will introduce legislation to make that change,” a Liberal source said.

Trudeau also announced that he would support posting MPs and senators’ quarterly expense reports on the Parliament of Canada’s website in a format that allows Canadians and journalists to easily compare information in the database.

So while the conservative government is rapidly turning into a black hole regarding information and good governance, the new Liberal leader is showing that it is possible for Canadians to live in the light.

 

[B00Mer]

 

[L Gilbert]

Instead of just talking about transparency and accountability as the reform did, Justin Trudeau will be taking actual steps to create greater transparency and accountability within his party and Parliament.

Or at least he says he will be taking "actual steps".

So while the conservative government is rapidly turning into a black hole regarding information and good governance, the new Liberal leader is showing that it is possible for Canadians to live in the light.

Or at least is talking about it, anyway. lol