Former staffer claims B.C. Liberal government destroyed Highway of Tears records
A former executive assistant to B.C.'s minister of transportation and infrastructure has accused Christy Clark's B.C. Liberal government of "widespread and most likely systemic" abuse of the freedom-of-information process.
Tim Duncan says he was ordered in November 2014 to delete email records of ministry officials' meetings related to the missing women on the Highway of Tears. In a bombshell May 18 letter to the B.C. information and privacy commissioner, Duncan alleges that a ministerial assistant ordered him to delete them.
"When I hesitated, he took away my keyboard, deleted the emails and returned the keyboard stating, 'It's done. Now you don't have to worry about it anymore,'" Duncan wrote.
In January 2015, Duncan claims he "again questioned the appropriateness of deleting emails after an FOI request", this time to B.C. Liberal caucus research director Jen Wizinsky.
"It's like in the West Wing. You do whatever it takes to win," Duncan alleges Wizinsky said.
According to Duncan, the 2014 event was "not an isolated incident".
"When Freedom of Information (FOI) requests are made for ministerial staff emails, it concerns me that political appointees are allowed to self-report their response. This allows for misconduct to occur, and often a 'No records' response to be reported," Duncan wrote in his letter.
The B.C. NDP has pounced on the allegations.
“These are shocking accusations,” NDP Leader John Horgan stated in a news release. “If these claims are true, they speak volumes about this government’s obsessive need for secrecy and its contempt for the public. This is like keeping the paper shredder running in the back room all night; it’s a symptom of a sick government.”
Horgan also said: “The letter says it all about how Christy Clark’s government approaches its responsibilities to the people of B.C. 'You do whatever it takes to win.’ Even when it involves missing and murdered women.”
Comments
16 Comments
Richard S.
May 28, 2015 at 1:53pm
Somehow I'm not at all surprised, give the BC Liberal's contempt for transparent governance. There have been any number of egregious offences to Freedom of Information in this province, but this one - on the heels of a long-coming acknowledgement of missing and murdered aboriginal women - really takes the cake.
cathy
May 28, 2015 at 8:12pm
A so called "win" on the bodies of murdered and missing women-hope this sinks the arrogant BC Libs.
Who knows what more they have deleted, covered up and lied about?
james kennedy
May 28, 2015 at 9:17pm
Steven Harper and Christie Clark must have went to the same school......"what ever i takes to win"
Gordon Campbell
May 28, 2015 at 10:18pm
What sort of disgusting pig behaves like this? This is inhuman behavior - it literally turns my stomach.
shoegazer
May 28, 2015 at 10:38pm
Should this really come as a surprise to anyone that can see behind the veil of Ms.Photo-Op?
Painted Turtle who Sits on a Log and Sees
May 29, 2015 at 7:29am
This is the last straw! CHRISTY CLARK HAS TO BE FIRED!!!!!
Don't over react
May 29, 2015 at 8:25am
IT can pull up any and all "deleted" emails. Why wasn't this done?
robinottawa
May 29, 2015 at 8:40am
There are backups. Are you not a tech writer? Could you not check on that before writing the story?
22nd Century Canadian
May 29, 2015 at 9:06am
FFS This has got to be the last straw with this arrogant, self righteous, self serving, narcissist Government.
willis
May 29, 2015 at 10:31am
You people voted for her now vote her out