Another Canadian Politician Raising Money From The Companies She Regulates
14th Nov 2006, 04:01 GMT
While conflicts of interest between politicians and lobbyists from the companies they're supposed to regulate are so common in the US that they barely get any attention, up in Canada it's apparently not quite as common. Still, however, given the fuss over Sam Bulte's attempt to raise a bunch of money from the entertainment industry she was supposed to regulate just days before the election -- eventually leading to her losing the election -- you would think that other politicians would be a little more careful. Not so. Michael Geist, who helped shine the line on Bulte's questionable activities is now doing the same for Bev Oda, the Canadian Heritage Minister who has held fundraisers for the entertainment industry she's supposed to regulate. As with Bulte, it certainly seems like a bit of a conflict when all the people giving her money for her campaign are on one side of the debate, and there's really no one who can represent the users' standpoint. As Geist notes, none of this was done illegally. It's all within the letter of the law -- but it does raise serious questions about the impartiality of Oda, and whether or not the system really is fair.
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