PETITION: Stop The Pay Hike
Canadian Members of Parliament are set to receive a pay raise on April 1st, the same day that the government plans to increase the Carbon Tax. Many citizens are upset about this timing and believe it is unfair to the Canadian people. As a result, a petition has been created calling on Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to Stop The Pay Hike. So far, the petition has gathered 7,763 signatures, with a goal of reaching 10,000.
The issue of partisan donations by judicial and tribunal appointees has also come under scrutiny. The Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) has launched an investigation into suspicions that some judges and tribunal members may still be engaging in partisan political activity. According to the ethical guidelines set by the CJC, judges should cease all partisan political activity once they assume judicial office, including making donations and attending fundraisers. These guidelines were signed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a document titled Open and Accountable Government in 2015, which called for appointees to avoid political activity as much as possible the year prior.
The investigation by the CJC was prompted by a report by the National Post, which raised concerns about the partisan donations of judicial and tribunal appointees. It was revealed that two Ontario Superior Court judges and 15 tribunal members are under investigation. This investigation aims to ensure that the continued service of these individuals does not undermine public confidence in the impartiality, integrity, or independence of the judiciary.
An eight-month investigation by the National Post and the Investigative Journalism Foundation (IJF) found that approximately 76.3% of judges who had made political donations favored the Liberal Party of Canada. Out of the 1,308 judicial and tribunal appointments since 2016, nearly one in five had donated to a political party at least once in the ten years leading up to their appointment. Some appointees had made partisan donations as small as $250 before their appointment. Furthermore, it was discovered that at least 15 of the appointees had donated to the Liberal Party of Canada.
The investigation also revealed that Liberal appointees from various tribunals, including the Parole Board of Canada, the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Social Security Tribunal, and the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal, had made partisan donations since 2016. This has raised concerns about the lack of transparency and diversity in the judiciary, as well as potential political influence in Canada’s courts.
The appointment process for judges and tribunal members has been criticized as “fundamentally political” due to the involvement of the Cabinet in making appointments. Critics argue that this process leads to the perception of partisan affiliation among those who are appointed. They call for greater transparency and efforts to address the lack of diversity in the judiciary to restore public confidence in Canada’s courts.
Overall, these ongoing issues regarding the pay hike for Members of Parliament and partisan donations by judicial and tribunal appointees have sparked a public outcry in Canada. Citizens are demanding fairness and transparency in government actions and appointments, highlighting the importance of upholding the principles of accountability and impartiality in public office.
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