IsNotEvidenceOfThatThingVille
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Tuesday Morning Update....We've fleshed this story out a little, thanks to the memory-prod of a sharp-eyed Anon-O-Mouse, here.
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Why no WRITTEN records?
Because, apparently, the investigation into improprieties by Ms. Clark's former chief-of-staff was ENTIRELY verbal.
Seriously.
That is actually the office of the premier's current position, this after Ms. Clark herself previously told the local proMedia that she did not immediately fire her chief-of-staff, who later resigned after spending time on the road with her, because there had to be an official investigation first.
The VSun's Jonathan Fowlie, who was on this one earlier today, has the story. Here is his lede:
VICTORIA — A two-week investigation that ended with the termination of Premier Christy Clark’s former chief of staff was conducted without the creation of a single document, The Vancouver Sun has learned.
On Monday, government responded to a request under the Freedom of Information Act saying there were no records “relating to an investigation into allegations of improper conduct by former Chief of Staff Ken Boessenkool.”
The government also said there was no written correspondence between Boessenkool and Lynda Tarras, head of the B.C. Public Service Agency, who was tasked to lead the investigation.A spokesman for the premier’s office confirmed Monday that no documents were created during the probe, saying all interviews and reports were done verbally....
So.
No documents and no details regarding the actual interviews and/or the 'reports' that were 'done'.
Thus, at this point it would appear that there is no actual evidence to indicate that there was any investigation of any significance whatsoever.
Thus, in the absence of such evidence, based on past performance, I would once again posit that it would not be unreasonable for reasonable people to conclude that Ms. Clark was once again truth-challenged in the extreme when she used the so-called 'investigation' as her rationale for not calling for Ms. Boessenkool's resignation immediately rather than taking him on an extended Asian junket instead.
OK?
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The Dean was also on the Twittmobile on this one earlier...Apparently he had been previously been given an assurance by the head of the investigation that it had actually taken place and that the head had 'reported to the Premier'....Hmmmmm.....Now that there is no physical evidence of any such investigation having taken place it will be interesting to see if Mr. Palmer continues to try and chase this one down...
Bob Mackin has essentially the same story as Mr. Fowlie - they were going after the same material through separate FOIR's.....Here.
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7 comments:
So if there are no records, does this mean nothing happened and he will get his job back or be able to take action for wrongful dismissal? Was there ever an"invest igation"? Who is really covering for who? Which brings to mind that if they hadn't tried to cover up so many different scandals they might not be bumping single digit popularity.
Face the music and forget the coverup.
The way the improper conduct by former Chief of Staff Ken Boessenkool is treated will dependent on whether the object of his unwanted attentions was in the bargaining unit, or out.
She will have to proceed under the terms of the appropriate collective agreement, or abide by the 'Terms and Conditions for Excluded Employees' - two different sets of timelines too.
Thanks Anon-Above--
However, it is my opinion that how this matter is handled, going forward, is not the issue at hand here.
Instead, I am referring specifically to the 'investigation' that Ms. Clark used as the excuse for waiting two weeks until the press got wind of the incident to suddenly make Mr. Boessenkool's snap resignation public.
Here is just one description, among many in the proMedia archives, laying this out, as reported by the Canadian Press:
Clark defended her decision to conduct a two-week investigation into the incident rather than suspend or fire Boessenkool immediately.
"We went out to get all the facts that we could gather," said Clark, adding she had a number of conversations with Boessenkool about the investigation as it progressed.
"Everything that was done was absolutely to the letter required by government," she said....
Now.
The FOI reported on earlier today did not contain even totally redacted/completely blank pages of the investigation that was, as Ms. Clark claimed "done absolutely to the letter required by government".
Instead, there was nothing.
And later today, after they were called on this by the VSun's Mr. Fowlie (kudos to him for that follow-up, btw), there was a statement from the Premier's office that there is, in fact, NO written record, redacted or othewise, of anything having taken place regarding an 'investigation'.
Or, put another way, so far there is not one single government required 'letter', either consonant or vowel, that can be pointed to as evidence that any such investigation even took place as claimed by Ms. Clark.
And that is the real issue here, again in my opinion at least.
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Yep! Not keeping any records to avoid FOI requests is a page right out of Ken Dobell's administrative play book. I was attendance on two occasions where he announced this approach to avoid troublesome FOI issues. He said don't prepare memos, reports or notes of any kind, including writing comments on any document.
I'm following this from Toronto as my studio shakes from Sandy's wind and rain..
My opinion, for what its worth.. is either someone is lying through their teeth.. or you are dealing with political animals so cunning and crooked and bent, that they know better than to ever ever put a word in writing.. or talk in front of loose lipped juniors.
The extension of this is .. Ms Clark, Boessenkool and all the others.. reaching of course even to Ottawalberta .. must go for a walk in noisy public areas to surreptitiously discuss or agree on coverups, conspiracies, tactics, frauds, smear jobs, leverage, donations, public contracts, pipelines, electoral 'strategies' and call outsourcing, Chinese labor, fracking, improper fondling, raw logs .. or their religious beliefs, affairs, views on abortion.. or ethics.. if any..
I mean they must be resorting to Cold War spy and counter spy trade-craft.. just to keep their jobs.. perhaps using codes or invisible ink.. Patting each other down for secret recording devices.. This also implies a healthy market for tradeoffs (threat and counter threat) at high political levels with demeaning or scandalous photographs.
Cancel a fall legislature.. no prob, sign a deal with China while in Russia, prorogation for the nation.. no prob.. conduct election fraud.. no prob .. Boessenkool-never happened.. no prob ... prorogue Ontario just before resigning.. no prob
Good night.. and Good luck
Hope all is well there Sal.
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Anon-Two-Above
Ahhhh, yes...The Dobell Doctrine....
We remember it well.
Very well.
You were in the room?
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Boessenkool and Campbell are Harper's boys.
Campbell was so drunk, he even drove on the wrong side of the road. Harper rewarded Campbell, to the post of, High Commissioner to England. Boessenkool is just another drunk. I won't be surprised if Harper rewards him, a cushy overseas post. Nothing will happen to Boessenkool, count on it.
Harper protected Campbell, he will protect Boessenkool. Harper even had the criminal Bruce Carson working for him.
Harper needs those types of low life characters, to do his dirty work for him. Through history dictators such as, Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini, always had the criminal element to do their dirty work for them.
In BC. All the politicians and the elite need, is a Special Prosecutor to get away with, charges laid against them.
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