Book Description

This report is concerned exclusively with the Gomery Commission's second mandate: to make recommendations, based on the factual findings of its first report, on a series of issues such as government transparency & accountability, the relationship between public servants and politicians, and the responsibilities that should be assigned to Parliament & parliamentarians. Part one outlines the reforms introduced by the federal government since the Commission was established in February 2004 and the suggestions the Commission heard from Canadians about what they felt should be done about accountability & transparency in government and other issues considered in the first report. Part two has five sections covering accountability issues, including the fundamental bases for the responsibilities & accountabilities of Ministers & senior public servants, the capacity of Parliament to hold the government to account, and the roles of the Prime Minister, Ministers, exempt staff, the Privy Council Office, and the Clerk of the Privy Council. Part three deals with more specific issues such as the future management of advertising & sponsorship activities as well as lobbying. It assesses measures to improve transparency, including legislative initiatives pertaining to information access, whistleblowing, sanctions related to failure to fulfil financial administration obligations, appointments to Crown corporations, and internal audits. Part four contains the Commission's consolidated recommendations which are also found throughout the report. The recommendations are designed to rebalance the relationship between Parliament & government, better assign responsibility, and strengthen accountability in the public interest.