Desire2Learn

[panamaniac]

Desire2Learn

[panamaniac]

McGuinty registers as lobbyist for Kitchener’s Desire2Learn

Waterloo Region Record
By Record staff

KITCHENER — Kitchener-based software company Desire2Learn has a new paid ally in its attempt to sell its learning management software to Ontario's schools, universities and colleges with former premier Dalton McGuinty registering as a lobbyist for the firm. ...

http://www.therecord.com/news-story/486 ... ire2learn/

[MidTowner]

Love him or hate him, I think most people can feel uneasy about the idea of a former Premier of a province being paid by a company to sell products to the provincial government. Scarcely a year and a half after leaving office, no less.

[mpd618]

Love him or hate him, I think most people can feel uneasy about the idea of a former Premier of a province being paid by a company to sell products to the provincial government. Scarcely a year and a half after leaving office, no less.

This is a particularly visible example of something that happens all the damn time. I don't think there's much value in decrying McGuinty doing a completely legal and commonplace thing, though there's certainly value in discussing laws about problematic revolving doors between public and private spheres.

[MidTowner]

I didn't think I was "decrying" anything. It seems to me that the language I used was fairly restrained- I said a lot of people would feel uneasy, and I think that's true.

It is inevitably more visible when it is someone who held an office like that of Premier. I'm not suggesting that I would have expected McGuinty (or many other former public servants) from doing anything above what is required of them by the letter of the law. I really do think that there should be more laws to preclude public servants (particularly those who held some of the highest offices) from lobbying for longer periods after leaving office.

For a position such as Premier, I think that the period should be very lengthy.

[ookpik]

This is a particularly visible example of something that happens all the damn time.

Exactly. Would people prefer that like other politicians he quietly retired to a law firm as "senior partner" where he could act discreetly behind the scenes on behalf of his private sector clients without having to register as a lobbyist?

[MidTowner]

Exactly. Would people prefer that like other politicians he quietly retired to a law firm as "senior partner" where he could act discreetly behind the scenes on behalf of his private sector clients without having to register as a lobbyist?

What "people"? I'm the only one who commented...

And I suppose I was wrong. If you do love Dalton, he can do no wrong and anything he might do is justified because someone else at some point did worse. Are we supposed to thank him for taking an actual lobbying position, rather than going back to his old profession?

[ookpik]

What "people"?

I meant the public in general who decry his open declaration as a lobbyist, not you specifically.

If you do love Dalton, he can do no wrong and anything he might do is justified because someone else at some point did worse.

To whose post is that a reply?

Are we supposed to thank him for taking an actual lobbying position, rather than going back to his old profession?

My point and I believe mpd618's as well, is simply that he made his position known publicly. Other retired politicians of all political stripes have been more secretive about their lobbying activities. Making that observation should not be construed as an endorsement of Dalton or his lobbying.

[mpd618]

I didn't think I was "decrying" anything. It seems to me that the language I used was fairly restrained- I said a lot of people would feel uneasy, and I think that's true.

I was responding to the general public commentary on the subject, not to your post specifically.

I think it is a good idea to have laws against revolving doors that call into question the integrity of political and regulatory processes.