Liberals demand wider probe on access-to-information meddling

[CHIMO]

The Liberals want Canada's information commissioner to investigate Stephen Harper's office and the minister of natural resources over meddling in access-to-information requests.

Last week, an aide to Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis resigned after documents obtained by The Canadian Press showed he interfered in at least four requests, not just the one he had admitted to.

Now the Liberals say Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault should expand her probe to include Mr. Paradis and the PMO.

In a letter to the commissioner sent Sunday, Liberal MP Siobhan Coady said the interference from the minister's office was well documented.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/liberals-demand-wider-probe-on-access-to-information-meddling/article1740314/

It is now is obvious.


Harper’s hatred surprised author

Q: You covered the Harper government for all these years. What did you learn in writing the book that surprised you?

A: I learned a lot of impressive things about the prime minister, not just his capacity for control but his complete grasp of a system, how it operated, how he could put a stranglehold on it, not only the system but the issues.

This is a prime minister with a mind of great depth and reach in terms of knowledge of public affairs. The people I interviewed were constantly amazed by his discipline, how much he knew. He would go into a priorities and planning (cabinet committee) meeting with briefing books four feet high. And he knew more than anybody in the room. At one point, Senator Marjory LeBreton came out and said, ‘My God. He’s even read the annex items.’

That was a surprise for me. I knew he was a very smart man, but the degree of his command of how the system worked was a surprise to a degree.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1205020.html

There is some more of Martin's replies at the site.

[CHIMO]

1. Two more aides vetted information requests

OTTAWA—An aide who resigned following the discovery that he meddled in several access to information requests was not the only staff member involved in political interference, newly released documents show.

An aide to Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis left his job last week after The Canadian Press obtained documents showing he tampered with at least four different requests made through federal freedom of information legislation, not just the one he had earlier acknowledged.

Sebastien Togneri, who served as director of parliamentary affairs for Paradis when he was minister of public works and then followed him to his new portfolio, testified earlier this year that he became inappropriately involved in vetting just one request in July 2009.

Paradis insisted Monday that he had “nothing to hide” and did the right thing by accepting the resignation and handing the relevant documents over to the federal information commissioner after learning about the additional incidents last Thursday.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/870543--two-more-aides-vetted-information-requests?bn=1

The Harper government is wrapping itself into "responsibility".

Well no one gives you responsibility. One has to accept responsibility. You are given authority. By accepting the authority you have the responsibility.

You have the authority to run your department to meet the requirements of government. If your staff is not working properly you are required to know about it. The only way around this, in my view, is if it is a concerted effort by those involved is to hide what they are doing. Otherwise the minister is not doing his/her job.

Wilson almost lost his ministry because a camera caught some papers of his budget. He didn't resign.

Sounds to me like Thomas Becket all over again.