I thank all my hon. colleagues. The Bloc Quebecois had called for a royal commission of inquiry into one of the greatest scandals of Canadian public life; the Liberal government refused.
Bill C-43 shows the government's considerable lack of courage to regulate the activities of lobbyists. We should not be shy or timid in this issue because what is a stake is the integrity of our democratic institutions and people's trust in their leaders. There should be no compromise. Last June, the Prime Minister said that measures promoting transparency, including Bill C-43, would give the federal government unprecedented transparency. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
I would like to salute the labour movement for its excellent contribution to this debate. The Canadian Labour Congress, on behalf of its affiliated unions and the FTQ, representing 2.1 million members, presented a good brief on this issue to the sub-committee on industry. It was signed by Robert White, president, Dick Martin, secretary-treasurer, and Nancy Riche and Jean-Claude Parrot, executive vice-presidents. They maintain that banning lobbying, even if it was possible, is not the solution. A way must be found to ensure that the government's decisions are never "bought" and that they never appear to be the result of lobbying.
Unions themselves lobby in favour of their membership. But unlike professional lobbyists, the labour movement has never hidden what it expects from the government. As a matter of fact, instead of hiding its views, it tries to make them as well known as possible. This has nothing to do with individuals or corporations trying to use their connections to open doors for others for a fee.
The CLC does not dispute the provisions in Bill C-43 which require labour organizations to register as organizations, not as individuals. It is willing to submit a detailed annual report providing information on its lobbying activities: legislative proposals, bills, resolutions, regulations, policies, programs, grants, contributions and other fiscal privileges.
One example is unemployment insurance. The labour movement is critically interested in this question, especially at a time when the government is trying to dismantle the system which is supposed to protect workers when they lose their jobs.
Bill C-43 deals mostly with the individual or the organization which lobbies the government, but the behaviour of government officials is also very important. We should widen the scope of the Criminal Code provisions to prohibit the offer of money, gifts or other advantages to a senior official or any employee, with the intent of influencing his or her decision.
The time limits stated in the conflict of interest and post- employment code for public office holders should be longer.
The rules applicable to lobbying should be effective and well known. For that we have to ensure that the people have access to information, without geographical or financial barriers. Therefore, all the data should be available in all public libraries.
To conclude, I believe that we have to restrict the activities of lobbyists in order to bring about a greater openness in the decision making process of the government, and in order to avoid that the wealthiest enjoy better access to decision makers through lobbyists.