Parliamentary watchdogs warn Tory bill could hamper their work

OTTAWA – Top officers of Parliament say a Conservative bill that would force their staff to disclose past political activities raises problems of fairness and could hamper their investigations.

Tory MP Mark Adler’s private member’s bill would also allow any parliamentarian to raise allegations of partisan conduct and ask for an investigation of employees working for the watchdog agencies.

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Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson tells a Commons committee the bill could allow anyone to fling mud at one of her employees, since there is no definition of partisan conduct or a threshold for launching an investigation.

She and other officers of Parliament also worry that such investigations could throw their own work into disarray.

NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus suggests that any MP or senator who didn’t like an investigation by a watchdog could simply accuse an employee of partisanship.

Dawson, auditor general Michael Ferguson and Chief Electoral Officer Mark Mayrand told MPs the bill isn’t necessary, given other laws that limit political activity and uphold impartiality.