Political Ethics

1
Political Ethics

• Royal Commission on Electoral Reform Party
  Financing
• Vol 12.

2
Public expectations

• Are demanding extensive in areas of
• Process of how parties nominate candidates
  select leaders
• Outcomes of this process in regards to fair
  representation
• Public interest also increased in other political
  institutions as Charter constitutional debates

3
Publics justification for increased interest

• Expectations of fair equitable manner when
  selecting candidates leaders
• The large extent of government subsidies to
  parties/candidates through tax credits and
  reimbursement of election expenses
• 31 of total party expenditure or 66,658,000
  over four years (1988)

4
Why?

• Public perceives political parties not effective
  in addressing behaviour that undermines public
  confidence
• Parties deemed unwilling or incapable of
  internally monitoring and enforcing fair
  procedure for their activities
• Impression that parties not recognizing public
  concern suggest that more range of party
  activities should be regulated.

5
Code Of Ethics

• Written statement of an organizations basic
  values and behaviour principles.
• Often contain 2 elements
• Explicit statement of org values principles
  grounded in its philosophy, objectives
  traditions
• Commitment Expectation all members are committed
  to these values and principles.
•  Few political parties have adopted a code of
  ethics (Reform Christian Heritage parties but
  not to articles suggested form)

6
Obstacles in reforming political activities

• Decentralization of parties (leaders have trouble
  controlling member conduct, especially at
  constituency level)
• Leaders deprived of sanctions used in the past to
  ensure compliance with party rules (via reduced
  patronage and increased use of professional
  experts)
• Most of party members are volunteers

7
Corporate Use of Codes

• Most corp have values to guide members conduct
  reflect corps basic assumptions
• What are the principles to guide ones conduct
  when interacting with others?
• Challenges same as parties Ensuring values and
  rules understood and followed. Decentralized
  structure. Geographically dispersed.
• Corps do not rely on chance to ensure employees
  understand the values rules. Like political
  parties, corps have been publicly scrutinized and
  suffered decline in public confidence.

8
Benefits of Articulating Party Values

• Enable leaders to manage party standards
• Foster a shared philosophy. Reinforce agreement
  with the values among members
• Emphasize their importance as the collective
  standard
• Enhance responsibility of party leaders for
  assessing member activity

9
SO?

• Party Members would have to
• Conduct themselves accordingly to values (via
  internal peer pressure)
• Valuable for members making difficult decisions
  enhance incentive to put partys long term
  interests ahead instead of short term goals
• Forestalling regulation of party life by giving
  effective management resources increase
  internal control.

10
Considerations when developing a code

• Realistic balance the philosophical and
  practical application of values.
• Permeate the org leaders to validate principles
  and members will feel bound by.
• Most important Enforcement. These procedures
  should be fair and recognize difference between
  poor judgement vs. intentional violations.
  Solution Could create committees or positions to
  perform this role.

11
Conclusion

• Code of ethics give parties tools to enforce
  party principles, and give members clear sense of
  obligation to these values.
• Will increase public confidence, and increase
  party integrity.
• Effective way to manage member conduct and
  forestall demands for greater regulation.
• Although law is a requisite for appropriate
  conduct, it may not always satisfy public
  expectation and electoral law can only go so far
  in encouraging certain behaviour.