The premier has accepted the lengthy list of recommendations aimed at firming up government transparency in the wake of the “triple-delete” email scandal – as if these were things that should have to be spelled out to begin with.
Somehow, we’ve allowed our politicians and bureaucrats to get into the misunderstanding that those emails were theirs to begin with. In the private sector, most everyone knows and accepts that their employer may read their work-related emails. We are Christy Clark and her staff’s employers, and we’re entitled to have a look.
Among the recommendations: banning the triple-deletion of emails from government servers, creating penalties for anyone who destroys government info and forcing government to make a written record of major decisions.
The thought of punishment for deleting public information is nice, but we say prevention is better than a remedy.
A far better system would be one that removes completely the ability to delete emails from politicians and their staff.
This comes as the executive director of the B.C. Liberal Party has stepped down to face criminal charges in Ontario for allegedly arranging the deletion of sensitive emails related to their ongoing gas plant scandal. Even if we do get new legislation, sadly, we don’t expect the stick-handling to change.
The constant game of “catch me if you can” has become a matter of routine for governments and publicly owned corporations.
It almost seems at times that politicians have decided to just take their chances on being caught hiding information. What’s the worst that can happen? – they may ponder as they delete and shred material that could make them look bad. Sadly, the odds are on their side. The media has fewer resources to muster in filing access to information requests, and the average voter seems to have short memories where government foul-ups are concerned.
The provincial Liberals are not alone, however. This severe allergy to transparency and accountability is something all levels of government across Canada have developed.
There remains a motivation to stay one step ahead. While Stephen Harper’s Conservatives were the standard bearers for deception, others simply can’t resist trying.
We hate to pin our hopes on Justin Trudeau, but his initial committment to transparency and openness may be the best news we’ve heard from government in a long time.
Let’s hope it sticks.
