After the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratory was shut down back in December — causing a medical crisis worldwide becuase no one could get the crucial medical isotopes produced at Chalk River — the federal government hauled the head of Canada’s nuclear safety regulator Linda Keen before Parliament to explain herself.
Then, as we’re learning today, Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn sent Keen a letter on Dec. 27, 2007 basically saying, give us a good reason why we shouldn’t fire you.
Well, today, after that letter came to light, Keen and the regulator are firing back with all guns blazing:
First, Keen called in the RCMP to investigate the leak of that Dec. 27 letter, which was supposed to be private and confidential.
Second, Keen called in the Privacy Commissioner to investigate the leak of that letter.
Finally, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) — that’s the group that Keen is the President of — released 38 pages of documents this afternoon which include Lunn’s Dec. 27 letter as well as her blistering response/attack in this letter to Lunn:
“As the head of an independent quasi-judicial administrative tribunal, I was and remain deeply troubled by both the tone and content of your letter. The nature of the allegations which have been made, coupled with your threat to have me removed as President, seriously undermine the independence of the CNSC…
The Supreme Court of Canada has consistently held that the principles of fundamental justice require quasi-judicial administrative tribunals to be free from political influence or interference….
[Your actions] are examples of improper interference with both the institutional independence of the CNSC and with the administration of justice …
I would therefore ask you to carefully consider the significant chilling effect your recent actions could have on the practices and decisions of other tribunals who are responsible for important work on behalf of Canadians.”
So far today — 1:50 pm Ottawa time — Lunn’s office has not responded to our requests to interview him. A spokesman for the CNSC said neither Keen nor any other from the CNSC will be making any further comments about this matter today.