James Travers December 2009

Jim Travers is one of our favourite political watchers. We read his column and pay attention when he is interviewed on one of the many news programs on TV. He also will answer if you email him!!
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By James Travers
National Affairs Columnist Published On Thu Dec 24 2009

OTTAWA–Here's a last-minute gift idea for big-hearted shoppers: Provide a home for one of the federal government's stray watchdogs.

A year that began in Washington with Barack Obama's declaration of a new era of openness is ending in Ottawa with Stephen Harper's imposition of extreme levels of old school secrecy. Even as the president insists that his administration apply the disinfectant of sunshine to the viral plague of hiding public information, the Prime Minister is doing everything possible to keep Canadians in the dark.

Three essential oversight agencies will begin 2010 without leadership and wearing government-issued blinkers. By hook and crook, Harper Conservatives have gutted the effectiveness of the Military Complaints Commission, the Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP and the Office of the Information Commissioner.

All three top posts are now empty. Not one was vacated quietly.

Peter Tinsley is howling that pushing him out of the job will effectively kneecap the already crippled inquiry into claims that Afghans tortured prisoners. Paul Kennedy is furious not to be staying to bring fully independent investigations and civilian oversight to the RCMP. Robert Marleau retired as information commissioner in June, a few months after issuing a set of failing-grade report cards that blamed those "at the very top" for systematically denying Canadians information about what the government is doing in their name.

Close Ottawa observers will recognize a pattern. This prime minister lowers the boom on anyone who raises the alarm.

The list of those who got on Harper's wrong side is long. Linda Keen sacked as president of the nuclear safety commission for apparently doing her job too diligently. Marc Mayrand was publicly savaged when the country's chief electoral officer challenged the Conservative "in-and-out" campaign funding scheme. Kevin Page was forced to wage an angry public fight to get the money the parliamentary budget officer was promised, and needs, to provide timely reports on how taxpayer money is spent.

Harper isn't the first prime minister to punish those who make life difficult by imposing democratic discipline on executive power. Still, Harper's relentless sweeping aside of critics is uniquely unsettling.

Opposition parties, having experienced the madness of his methods, wonder aloud how far beyond silencing critics and suspending Parliament the Prime Minister will go to have his way. Even some Conservatives now refer privately to Harper as a control freak.

Politics is, of course, prone to hyperbole. But it's also true that the broad public interest is too often a casualty in the constant fight to gain narrow partisan advantage.

Much is being lost in the current shuffles. Energy and momentum are sapped from the military investigation into prisoner abuse claims, the drive to finally make the RCMP accountable and the campaign by successive information commissioners to make a system essential to democracy work for Canadians.

It's Ottawa's safest assumption that the Prime Minister will eventually succeed in finding more obliging replacements for Tinsley, Kennedy and Marleau. After all, these are prestigious jobs that pay handsomely – the particularly richly rewarded information commissioner can expect up to $285,000 – and can be kept for many years, as long as not too much fur flies.

In the meantime, the message to federal watchdogs is as clear as it's free of seasonal good cheer – it's Harper's way or the highway.

James Travers' column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.