Tories vow to tighten lobbying rules

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Stung by the Jaffer affair, the Harper government is pledging a major crackdown on lobbying that would require public disclosure of efforts to influence opposition MPs, backbenchers and Senators - not just cabinet ministers and senior bureaucrats.

The promised reforms would also make it harder for a larger portion of Ottawa's political class to profit from government connections upon leaving the Hill.

The overhaul, as described by Treasury Board president Stockwell Day Tuesday, would restrict MPs, Senators, Leaders of the Opposition and a broader number of political staffers from lobbying for five years after leaving politics.

It's an attempt to outflank the Liberals and other opposition parties, which have been making political hay of allegations that former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer lobbied Ottawa on environmental projects after his 2008 election defeat.

The changes would be a major expansion of recordkeeping requirements and lobbying restrictions that currently apply to cabinet ministers, their staff and senior civil servants.

"We want this to be a larger umbrella in terms of elected people who are under it - and their staff," Mr. Day said.

"We want to make sure all Members of Parliament are covered, Leaders of the Opposition and their offices, and senators."

The Conservative government challenged opposition parties to back the initiative, but a senior Harper official said the party plans to proceed with or without support from the Liberals, NDP and Bloc.

The Tories declined to say whether they would use legislation, a cabinet order-in-council or regulatory changes to enact the reforms.

The proposed changes are so restrictive that it's likely they may be challenged in court if passed into law. Opposition MPs and affected political staff could argue that they don't actually have power over government decisions and it's a restriction of basic rights to prevent them from interacting with government after leaving office.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, speaking to reporters in Thunder Bay on Tuesday, appeared to have reservations about the plan.

"We'd look at anything that would increase accountability and transparency. But let's not get us tangled up so much that no MP can meet anybody. That would be taking it too far."

The Tory effort to turn the tables on rivals came after parties lined up behind a Liberal motion calling on the Harper government to tighten a loophole in existing lobbying law.

The Liberal motion calls for lobbyists to note in the federal lobbyists registry when they meet parliamentary secretaries - MPs who function as aides to ministers - and not just ministers and ministerial staff.

Documents tabled with the Commons government operations committee suggest Mr. Jaffer entered into contact with bureaucrats and ministerial aides in at least seven federal agencies - including Brian Jean, parliamentary secretary to the Infrastructure Minister.

Meanwhile, MPs on the operations committee, which has been investigating Mr. Jaffer's dealings with the government, are scrambling to find witnesses after Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis and Labour Minister Lisa Raitt declined to testify.

"I guess they're trying to rag the puck until summertime, hoping this will all blow over and be swept under the rug," NDP MP Pat Martin said.

The committee has already heard from Mr. Jaffer and a former potential business partner, Nazim Gillani. The committee will likely re-invite Mr. Jaffer to confront him with alleged contradictions in his testimony and various documents tabled at the committee by the government, as well as Mr. Gillani's testimony.

With a report from The Canadian Press