Beyond The Commons

 Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

The information era

by Aaron Wherry on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 9:25am - 39 Comments

While the RCMP has been called in to investigate a former ministerial staffer, the information commissioner details the filing system at Public Works.

Legault’s intensive probe of the Togneri case uncovered a so-called “purple file” process at Public Works, by which the minister’s political staff reviewed potentially damaging access releases at meetings with the responsible public servants. ”This purple file process creates a high-risk environment for potential influence or interference with ATIA release decisions and timely disclosure under the Act,” her report found. The report says Public Works has since changed the process so there are no more face-to-face meetings between bureaucrats and minister’s aides. The political staff are no longer allowed to know the category of requester, whether news media or opposition MPs.

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  • briguyhfx

    If Togneri gets punished for running political interference in ATI requests, other heads need to roll as well. These high-placed political operatives probably have an ATI playbook they are following, and the authors of the policy they are following need to answer for their own political interference.

    On top of that, there really needs to be an independent ATI office responsible for vetting original documents. This constant political black-lining of documents that have no bearing on national security, personal privacy, or privileged financial information is an embarrassment to democracy, no matter what party is holding the sharpie.

    • John D

      As much as a I hate to see another bureaucracy, this seems to be the only thing that makes sense. The documents should be vetted by people who aren't even allowed to talk to the political side.

      • MostlyCivil

        Sadly, the political side talks to them. All the time. Even when they're not supposed to.

        • BCer in Mtl

          A firewall would come in handy.

          • MostlyCivil

            With actual fire, yes please.

          • LdKitchenersOwn

            LOL.

            That's a good one, but it also makes me wonder if in 2011 most people have lost the original pre-computer meaning of firewall. Firewalls actually STOP fires, they're not walls made of fire.

          • burlivespipe

            They could get the flame from the CON party leader's pants…

          • MostlyCivil

            I know what the term means, but i really, really want a flamethrower anyway.

            "Get back, or Face the FIREWALL! Whoossshhh!"

  • Richard_S_Argent

    Am I understanding this correctly, that paid political staffers were deciding who could access information or couldn't?

    Transparency and Accountability in action I guess…

    • Mike T.

      It's an administrative charge only. REAL Canadians and their families want the government to focus on the economy.

      :)

      • Richard_S_Argent

        If the Harper Government feels comfortable committing such transgressions while leading a minority government, I shudder to think what they'd be comfortable doing with a majority (without the threat of non-confidence).

    • john g

      This was reported a while back Richard…same incident of ATIP tampering that prompted the calls for Paradis' resignation some months ago. Back in the news again because of the RCMP investigation.

      • Thwim

        Hey, if the CPC can announce the same funding 4 times over…..

        • LdKitchenersOwn

          Not to mention spending more taxpayer money on advertising than McDonald's does to advertise a plan to get us out of a recession we're already out of (from the Party who said we weren't going to go into a recession after we'd already technically gone in to it!).

          • MostlyCivil

            EAP = Election Advertising Plan

          • Loraine Lamontagne

            Where's the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation? They were so good when they denounced Liberal spending. Now we rarely hear from them. I wonder why (not really, I know why!)

          • Thwim

            Obviously it's because the left wing media is keeping them out of the news right now..

            ..wait.. something's wrong there..

          • LdKitchenersOwn

            As noted below, the CTF is actually quoted in the article I link to, saying that dealing with our deficit/debt will involve getting rid of taxpayer funded political advertising like this that "smacks so much of partisanship".

          • Thwim

            I was more commenting on the paranoiac concept of a "left-wing" media.

          • LdKitchenersOwn

            Fair enough, I just wanted to point out that I don't think the CTF are necessarily being at all hypocritical here, as some may imply. They've come out against this spending just as they came out against similar spending under previous governments.

          • LdKitchenersOwn

            Where's the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation?

            They're quoted in the article I link to, and they're not happy:

            “There is a clear difference between an ad selling Canada Savings Bonds – or perhaps where [and] how to get a passport dealt with – than EAP ads,” said Kevin Gaudet of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

            The federation recently resurrected Canada's federal “Debt Clock” – last seen in the early 1990s – and Mr. Gaudet said “stopping the clock will involve scrapping this kind of advertising that smacks so much of partisanship.”

          • john g

            Where's the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation?

            What are you talking about? Who do you think it is that's running around the country in a huge campaign with their "debt clock", criticizing the current government?

          • daninvan

            I'd say their comments are not quite as vigorous as from 15 years ago… And the whole debt clock thing is meant to help Harper for after the next election — tighten our belts, lop off programs etc.

          • Mike T.

            A recession we'd still be in if we'd folllowed Harper's advice on banking regulation!

  • Reverend_Blair

    I really hope that the RCMP investigation goes ahead and that there's no political interference in that. Togneri may have been happy to fall on his sword when the punishment was employment in some Harper-friendly office somewhere, but he may be a little happier to cooperate now that the stakes are charges.

    • BCer in Mtl

      I guess they thought it better to call in the RCMP rather than have the RCMP announce they were doing so in the middle of an election campaign.

      • burlivespipe

        Better to call in the RCMP while their angry stooge is still in charge!

  • OriginalEmily1

    It is in their nature to hoard. It doesn't matter if it's something major or minor, they hoard it. It's a mindset.

    But as Manning said, 'information wants to be free.'

  • bennji1977

    Now, when the report is released, our government can fall back on the position of not responding to the contents pending the outcomes of the criminal investigation.

    Would love to know the terms and conditions of Mr. Togneri termination agreement. I would bet that there is a "Ouimet Transparency" clause in there somewhere.

  • ZestyMordant

    I understand why it makes sense for the political people to know what is being released so they are not blindsided, but of course they should have no control over what gets released. We need a new process.

    The public servants who prepare the releases should submit an unredacted copy of the information to the information commissioner prior to informing the political staff. Then if the recipient feels there has been political interference they can ask the information commissioner to look at it. The commissioner can decide that the redaction is appropriate or release more information as appropriate.

    • LdKitchenersOwn

      I'm not sure that political staff should be involved in this at any level at all. I don't think we owe it to politicians to give them a heads up when embarrassing information about them is about to be made public, I think they owe it to us not to do things that would embarrass them if known by the public.

      • ZestyMordant

        Political staff should no control over what gets released, but I think its perfectly reasonable for them to be informed about what goes out. They're going to be asked questions about it, and I would prefer informed responses.

        The point is to let in the light, not keep politicians in the dark.

        • BCer in Mtl

          Actually, level the playing field: Each of the parties represented in parliament (plus independents) should be able ot access a database of requests in the pipeline, with some minimal information (not any identities, but more like where the information is being requested from, what period of time the request is pertinent to, when requested, when scheduled to be released, where the request is in the process, stuff like that)

        • LdKitchenersOwn

          The political staff may be asked questions about it, but who cares about their answers?

          We're talking about POLITICAL staff here, not government staff. This isn't about the Minister's executive assistant getting a heads up before the information goes public, this is about the Minister's CAMPAIGN TEAM getting a heads up before it goes public (actually, it's about a campaign team trying to head off the information going public at all, but you take my point). People who need to respond to questions on behalf of the government of Canada may need to know what's coming, but people who work for the Conservative Party of Canada can get stuffed as far as I'm concerned. They can read about the information being released to the public when it makes the papers, just like everybody else.

  • Reverend_Blair

    That's the way it should be. Political staff shouldn't be involved in the process at all. They don't need to know what's being released in advance. They shouldn't know what FOI requests have been made. They are political staff, not government staff. They represent their party, not constituents.

  • LdKitchenersOwn

    Why do we have to give political staff anything at all?

    If you work for the NDP, or the Conservative Party, or any party, do your own damned legwork.

    • thenonconformer

      >If Togneri gets punished for running political interference in ATI requests, other heads need to roll as well.

      No surprise God implements justice on Politicians as well

      Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose said in a statement that her department has implemented the recommendations made by the information commissioner in this matter. This, she said, is “consistent with our government’s commitment to openness, transparency and accountability.”But next A spokesperson for Ambrose later refused to release a copy of the report that was received in February. A great start for the Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose but what about a great finish as well?

      Time many others go now ASAP as well

      OTTAWA – In an unprecedented double rebuke of the minority Conservative government the Speaker of the House of Commons Peter Milliken has ruled the government breached parliamentary privilege by refusing to fully disclose cost estimates for its tough-on-crime agenda, corporate tax cuts and plans to purchase stealth fighter jets. He also ruled that International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda breached parliamentary privilege by misleading MPs about an altered document.

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