Ottawa — More than 60 members of the country's political and business elites say some of Mr. Justice John Gomery's key reform proposals would do more harm than good to the federal government.
In a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the group argues that the drastic changes proposed by Judge Gomery go far beyond what was needed to deal with the federal sponsorship scandal.
They object, for example, to recommendations that would strip the prime minister of the power to appoint deputy ministers, the top bureaucrats in each federal department.
They also oppose reforms that would lessen the influence of the Clerk of the Privy Council, the prime minister's right-hand bureaucrat.
Among those signing the letter are former provincial premiers Bob Rae and Allan Blakeney, former federal ministers John Manley and Barbara McDougall, and a host of former bureaucrats and corporate CEOs.
Mr. Harper said that when the reforms were proposed by Judge Gomery in February that he wanted to study them before deciding whether to take action.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060306.wgome0306/BNStory/National/home
In a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the group argues that the drastic changes proposed by Judge Gomery go far beyond what was needed to deal with the federal sponsorship scandal.
They object, for example, to recommendations that would strip the prime minister of the power to appoint deputy ministers, the top bureaucrats in each federal department.
They also oppose reforms that would lessen the influence of the Clerk of the Privy Council, the prime minister's right-hand bureaucrat.
Among those signing the letter are former provincial premiers Bob Rae and Allan Blakeney, former federal ministers John Manley and Barbara McDougall, and a host of former bureaucrats and corporate CEOs.
Mr. Harper said that when the reforms were proposed by Judge Gomery in February that he wanted to study them before deciding whether to take action.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060306.wgome0306/BNStory/National/home