CANADA EDGES UP IN LIST OF LEAST CORRUPT NATIONS – BUT STILL NOT BACK IN TOP TEN TIER
For Canadians there is good news and bad news in today’s release of Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
The good news: Canada has moved up to 76 points and 12th place after scoring 74 points and ranking 14th last year.
The bad news: We have still not returned to the top ten least corrupt list that Canada consistently ranked in prior to 2019.
OTTAWA: Today, Bill C-42 successfully received Royal Assent, paving the way for Canada to have a publicly accessible registry that lists the ultimate beneficial owners of companies. Earlier last month, Senate members heard from the ‘End Snow-washing’ Coalition: Publish What You Pay Canada, Transparency International Canada, and Canadians For Tax Fairness who provided a strong endorsement for the legislation and urged members to ensure it gets through Canada’s Senate without delay. Yesterday, the bill successfully passed all stages of reading in Canada’s Parliament and today it received Royal Assent.
Transparency International Canada (TI Canada) continues to identify the inadequate level of enforcement for corruption offences as the greatest barrier to combatting corruption in Canada. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) signalled its agreement with this in its Phase IV report on Canada’s implementation of the Anti-Bribery Convention, calling enforcement “exceedingly low”. Almost 25 years after the adoption of the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (CFPOA), Canada’s criminal law prohibiting foreign bribery, charges have been laid in only nine cases – a paltry number especially considering the size and dominant industry sector of Canada’s economy.
Canada is known as an easy place to launder dirty money, or ‘snow-wash’. It’s not just the experts who know this though. International corporate service providers actively promote incorporating companies in Canada to clients who wish to take advantage of lax secrecy laws and low financial crime enforcement.
On December 9-10, the United States hosted roughly 100 countries for a virtual Summit for Democracy. The Summit was held by the US in recognition of the growing global erosion of democracy and increasing influence of authoritarianism. The Government of Canada made six commitments on anti-corruption actions. TI Canada welcomes these commitments, but would like to see more details.
Transparency International Canada’s Executive Director, James Cohen, was invited to attend a press conference for the introduction of legislation to increase Ontario real estate. The Anti-Money Laundering in Housing Act, proposed by Ontario NDP Housing critic Jessica Bell (University-Rosedale), and MPP Bhutila Karpoche would require corporations, trusts, and partnerships that own real estate to disclose individual owners, with failure to comply resulting in fines of up to $100,000.
Toronto – Today, Finance Minister Morneau announced the Federal Government’s call for consultation on ‘Tax Planning Using Private Corporations’. This consultation follows Minister Morneau’s recent public statement that recognizes that anonymous beneficial ownership of corporations are harming Canada by allowing the flow of dirty money domestically and from overseas.
TI Canada provides comments to the Ontario Securities Commission in response to the Commission's call for comments on Proposed Policy 15-601 Whistleblower Program.
Transparency International Canada and Transparency International Secretariat have brought a joint motion for leave to intervene in the Supreme Court of Canada appeal of World Bank Group v. Kevin Wallace, et al. The appeal will consider whether an immunity conferred under Canadian law to an international organization may be vitiated by cooperation between the international organization (The World Bank) and domestic Canadian law enforcement (Royal Canadian Mounted Police).
TI Canada has sent an Open Letter to Political Party Leaders regarding Whistleblower Protection in Canada asking them what their party's position is on whistleblower protection.
Following the announcement by Swiss and US investigators of criminal proceedings against FIFA for alleged money laundering in connection with the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and allegations of “systematic” corruption in the United States and Latin America, Transparency International has said Sepp Blatter must now stand down and upcoming presidential elections suspended.
December 17th 2014 – Canada’s new law requiring oil, gas, and mining companies to annually report the taxes, royalties and other payments they make to governments passed into law on December 16th after receiving Royal Assent. Civil society organizations in Canada and abroad are welcoming the news, but caution that much work needs to be done to ensure citizens in resource-rich developing countries can access and use the information companies disclose.
Le 17 décembre 2014 – La nouvelle loi canadienne exigeant que les sociétés pétrolières, gazières et minières rendent compte chaque année des taxes, des redevances et des autres paiements qu’elles versent aux gouvernements a été promulguée le 16 décembre après avoir reçu la sanction royale. Des organisations de la société civile au Canada et à l’étranger accueillent favorablement cette nouvelle, mais indiquent qu’il reste encore beaucoup à faire pour s’assurer que les citoyens des pays en développement riches en ressources puissent avoir accès à l’information divulguée par les compagnies et l’utiliser. En savoir plus
