Reshaping the Canadian government and ensuring accountability in how taxpayer money is spent requires systemic reforms, legal frameworks, and public engagement. Here are some key steps that could help achieve this:
1. Implement Stronger Transparency & Accountability Laws
- Strengthen ethics laws for politicians at all levels (Senate, premiers, prime ministers) to prevent corruption and misuse of funds.
- Introduce independent oversight bodies with real power to investigate and penalize politicians for financial misconduct.
- Require public disclosure of expenses, government contracts, and lobbying activities.
2. Limit Political Corruption & Influence
- Ban corporate and union donations to political parties to reduce financial influence.
- Introduce term limits for senators and potentially MPs to prevent career politicians from becoming entrenched.
- Publicly fund election campaigns to reduce reliance on wealthy donors.
3. Senate Reform or Abolition
- The Senate is unelected and often seen as unaccountable. Options include:
- Making it an elected body with fixed terms and real accountability.
- Abolishing it entirely, similar to how other countries have eliminated their upper chambers.
4. Strengthen Financial Oversight on Government Spending
- Give Auditor General more power to investigate and enforce financial misconduct.
- Require referendums for major government spending projects.
- Implement "zero-based budgeting" where each department must justify its entire budget, rather than just adding to previous spending.
5. Increase Public Participation in Governance
- Implement citizen assemblies that advise on major issues like taxation, infrastructure, and public spending.
- Make recall elections legal, allowing voters to remove corrupt officials before their term ends.
6. Stronger Laws Against Government Theft & Misuse of Funds
- Create new criminal penalties for politicians found guilty of financial mismanagement or corruption.
- Establish an independent anti-corruption commission that can prosecute political figures.
- Require full restitution of stolen or misused taxpayer funds.
7. Electoral Reform to Reduce Party Control
- Consider proportional representation instead of the current first-past-the-post system, which gives excessive power to major parties.
- Introduce ranked-choice voting, which would ensure leaders have broad public support.