DEL MASTRO RECOGNIZED FOR OUTSTANDING ROLE IN FEDERAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

July 24, 2006

PETERBOROUGH - The Hon. John Baird, Minister for Ontario, congratulated Peterborough M.P. Dean Del Mastro for his Championship of the Federal Accountability Act today.

“Thanks to Dean Del Mastro – and some others like him – Canada’s new Government is delivering on its commitment to stand up for accountability,” said Minister Baird, who as President of the Treasury Board tabled the Federal Accountability Act in the legislature. “His unflagging commitment to end the culture of entitlement, and to make government more effective and accountable is a credit to his constituents.”

After thanking Del Mastro for his contributions to the development and passage in the House of Commons of the Federal Accountability Act, Baird presented him with a plaque signed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and himself in recognition of his efforts.

In its first session of Parliament, Canada’s new Government has made concrete changes for Canadians including:
• Reducing the opportunity to exert influence with money by banning corporate, union and large personal political donations;
• Giving Canadians confidence that lobbying is done ethically with a five-year lobbying ban on former ministers, their aides and senior public servants;
• Ensuring people who see problems in government know they can speak up by providing real protection for whistle-blowers; and
• Ensuring that Canadians know how their money is spent by enhancing the power of the Auditor General to follow the money.

“These actions deliver on Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s election commitment to make everyone in government more answerable to Canadians,” said Del Mastro. “It is about letting Canadians know their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent properly and wisely, and it is something I’m very proud to be a part of.”

Both Minister Baird and Del Mastro will be working hard with other parliamentarians in the upcoming session to ensure that Bill C-2 receives Royal Assent.