Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Radio-Canada union: Accountability to Parliament code 'offensive'

Radio-Canada journalists say they won't help the minister responsible for the state broadcaster be more accountable to Canadian taxpayers.

The union representing the French CBC's communications workers filed a grievance earlier this month, objecting to a new code of conduct that, among other things, asks employees to serve the public interest by "Loyally carrying out the lawful decisions of their leaders and supporting ministers in their accountability to Parliament and Canadians."

This new code of conduct came into force April 2 and replaced the old rules that dated from November 2006.

Union president Alex Levasseur said the requirement to support ministers in their accountability to Parliament is offensive and amounts to an oath of allegiance to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's ministers. Radio-Canada employees should not be subject to political influence, and Levasseur does not think the $1.1 billion in public funding the state broadcaster receives annually creates a special obligation to be accountable to Canadians through Parliament. He added that Radio-Canada had always been at arms' length from the government and that the new code of conduct put that healthy distance in jeopardy.

Original Article
Source: cnews.canoe.ca
Author: Brigitte Pellerin

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