Someone messed up. Whether it was Richard Mahoney, his assistant, or Industry Canada’s Lobbyist Registration Branch is open to debate.
Whoever it was, Mahoney engaged in lobbyist activities when he was not officially registered for such things. No one quite knows who is responsible, but the opposition and some concerned citizens are pointing fingers.
So should Mahoney bow to the pressure and withdraw as the Liberal candidate for Ottawa Centre? This is a question the Liberal party needs to ask itself – because the electorate will be answering the same question when they go to the polls.
The situation goes something like this: Mahoney, who is a personal friend of Prime Minister Paul Martin, attended a cocktail party at the prime minister’s residence on Sept. 7, along with a number of individuals involved in lobbying for Canadian Satellite Radio.
CSR, which happens to also be a client of Mahoney’s law firm, won a coveted bid from the CRTC to broadcast in the digital satellite radio format. Two companies – CSR and Sirius Canada – won these licences and both are close affiliates of U.S. broadcasting companies. Canadian media companies were appropriately nonplussed and launched an appeal.
The resulting investigation discovered that Mahoney was seen at the cocktail party assisting CSR in the lobbyist’s way and, further, that at the time he was not properly registered for such a role. To properly engage in such advocacy, lobbyists must register with Industry Canada’s Lobbyist Registration Branch.
According to the organization, Mahoney was not registered until Oct. 5. Mahoney argued that his assistant had attempted to register on Sept. 7 but there was confusion due to an ambiguity in the online registration that led them to believe he was properly registered.
Mahoney made his e-mail exchanges with his assistant available to the media and acknowledged the mix-up.
Immediately, political opponents such as NDP Leader Jack Layton and members of the public demanded Mahoney’s resignation as a Liberal candidate. He has not done so and is giving no indication that he will.
But is he still Liberal’s best bet for taking Ottawa Centre from the NDP? The attention given this case demonstrates a healthy, democratic process: the media has provided the public with the information it needs to make an informed decision when the election comes.
Given Ed Broadbent’s decision not to run again, Mahoney must be considered the front-runner for the riding. The electorate now is aware of the situation. Maybe it will accept that it was a mix-up or perhaps it will place blame. Democracy will be served, regardless.
Whether democracy will be kind to Mahoney is a question that will be answered on election day. But perhaps it’s a question that Liberals in Ottawa Centre should be asking themselves now.
— Matt Goerzen