Human Resources Minister Diane Finley says her political staff approves everything government bureaucrats are allowed to say to reporters, a statement that brought charges of abuse of power from her political opponents.
Conservatives defended Finley's close scrutiny of the civil servants in her department as a “prudent” example of political oversight that helps to improve transparency and accountability.
And yet, a parliamentary committee was forced Tuesday to issue a subpoena to one Conservative aide who refused to answer MPs questions about the government's communications policies and it threatened to issue a subpoena to another aide unless that aide volunteered to testify.
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Finley conceded that bureaucrats in her department who receive a media request must provide a copy of that request to her political aides. She told the committee that her political aides re-wrote or otherwise amended bureaucrats' responses about 20 per cent of the time.
“If this is what passes for scandal these days, I think we've come a heckuva long way since the previous government. Information was sought and, within three weeks, it was provided,” said Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre.
But Paul Dewar, an NDP MP from Ottawa, said Sparrow's action is part of a broader pattern by Conservative aides of interfering with the work of government bureaucrats.
“People in this town are worried about that. I've heard from them. Trust me,” said Dewar. “It's an abuse of political power to make sure that every single missive that goes out has the blessing of the minister's office. People shouldn't have their questions laundered by political staff.”
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