Canada

You might not (think you'd) be biased towards a company you worked for 20 years about. And the type of compensation you received (i.e., salary only, stock options, bonuses/gifts) might affect that.

However, being former employees (although technically this person was probably contracted) is often included in conflict of interest definitions and for good reason.

Your argument is a very non-corrupt way of looking at things. I'd support it if illegal lobbying and corruption weren't rampant in politics.

By the way, the House of Lords in the UK is in the process of striking down laws that they need to report their financial interests.

There's a reason why politicians' and high-ranking public servants' financial ties should be tracked, because they increasingly decide our current 'democracy' more so than votes, and without some transparency we're @#$%ed.