JamesM

If you are thinking of moving to Canada remember to pack your brown envelopes.

Any one who has ever had any "friends' in the OPP knows exactly what I'm talking about.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle2032347/

iaink

Ive been here 13(?) years now, and sadly have no anecdotes to offer in this thread. Ive never to my knowledge witnessed any corruption here.

Im not entirely sure what corruption it is that Canada is supposed to be fighting to be honest, is this for overseas contracts and the like, or more domestic fare?

Surely the wider concern for people that live here is an absense of corruption among the people you deal with in day to day life. After all, its not like UK companies are entirely clean when it comes to greasing the wheels of industry (British Aerospace in Saudi Arabia for example)

ann m

We equally love and hate (and embrace and lambast) many of Canada's thoughts and processes which are something from the 70's.

For a country where we (on the forum) repeatedly state that is is who you know, not what you know, that helps smooth your career and life in general, this report should not be a surprise.

Edit: However, like Iaink, I have witnessed nothing along these lines. I am not naive though.

iaink

Thats not exactly corruption is it, if it was you would lay some notes out and land a job easy. Its just people hiring those that they have some trust in if you ask me.

ann m

No - but the mindset may be more conducive to "corruption" - look at the UK in the 70's - rife. Many of those elements and thought processes are strong here, so I'd say it's likely to be more likely.

iaink

Ive never witnessed any here... has anyone else?

Auld Yin

I've had friends in the OPP for years and I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Would you care to elaborate please?

Aviator

Not in the nealry 16 years I've been here. I've always been open to offers, but nobody did.

Steve_P

Me neither, although I've been told I've led a sheltered life.

JamesM

I tend to agree with Ann M. Canada is a country of backdoor's and who you know.

My experience with canadian friend's and canadian friend's who are police is that they would not rule out turning a blind eye to certain things if some one was to distract them with something else. An example that a policeman might let slide is drink driving.....

Similarly when I first lived in Toronto all those years ago I lived with two young saskatchewan girls who would often entertain young policeman because of their ability to get their hands on drugs and bounce them into clubs.

Obviously this is just drawing on my own personal experience but in the UK I genuinelly felt that that the police were more straight and narrow and this was reflected by the off duty police that I met in social situations and the professionalism of police at Football matches etc.......

I understand a bit of back scratching and that it may be important to look after your own but when people come to Canada they should be aware that face value for one person is not necessarily the same as for another. Work all the relationships you can and you will be surprised at the preferential treatment you can recieve.

iaink

Ive had coppers let a few khm slide and been issued a ticket for 115 when I was doing 130 for example. But there was no bribery or anything, its was a cop using their discression.

I have never heard of anyone bribing a cop here over something like drink driving.

Besides, the article linked to at the top seems to be regarding international business transactions rather that local affairs.

JamesM

Yes I agree. The article at the top is more about business transactions. But I agree with AnnM's assertion that generally the culture here is more open for favours.

It's not necessarily a bad thing but you have to focus on making it work for you.

Alan2005

All levels of government in Canada are corrupt - just as they are everywhere.

JonboyE

Sometimes I find "corruption" in Canada to be refreshingly honest. Politicians, for example, tend not to hide their self-interest behind protestations that they are sacrificing their life and career to "public service."

I remember that a former premier of BC was forced to resign because someone built a deck for his house. The deck builder was applying for a casino license. He didn't get the license, and the deck was worth a couple of thousand dollars at most but it was enough. I thought at the time that, compared to the millions some ministers of the last Tory government in the UK were salting away doing arms deals to dodgy dictators, it was pretty small potatoes.

I have quite a few acquaintances who are rank and file uniformed officers in the RCMP and VPD. I have never heard anything to suggest that money would get you preferential treatment from them. Not even funny handshakes. That said, the police forces are staffed by humans so it is unreasonable to assume there are no corrupt people.

Souvy

As of last Saturday, the mortal world is populated only by corrupt people.

Apparently.