As the much-vaunted Accountability Act gets closer to passing the House of Commons, critics say Harper's disdain for lobbyists is really nothing more than an elaborate media line...So clearly Harper is comfortable having lobbyists speak for his party - perhaps more so than some of his own MPs.
Indeed, lobbyists represent an important component of the Conservative political machine.
Consider a recent memo sent out directly from the Prime Minister's Office concerning the ongoing battle with the national media. It was sent to top party strategists, including members of the lobbying world who appear on talk shows, suggesting they portray the media as lazy when asked about the spat.
Meanwhile, in case there was any thought that Harper was doing all he can without a majority in Parliament, think again:
Harper has also repeatedly decried the "revolving door" between government and government consultants, promising during the last election to slam it shut. The Accountability Act proposes that public office holders be barred from lobbying government for five years after they leave office...Again, none of this should come as too much surprise. But it's worth highlighting one more example of how Harper's message is directly contrary to his own actions. And I'll look forward to more members of the media proving Harper's talking point wrong by checking such hypocrisy at every turn.
But that principle didn't seem to stand for Elizabeth Roscoe, a member of Harper's transition team following the election. She went on to become a vice-president of public affairs at the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.
Conacher said Harper could have prevented this by amending the Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders, a set of rules that is under the immediate control of the prime minister and would have come into effect right away.
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