Evidence of meeting #13 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was question.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:10 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
I don't recall.
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
You never recall that being on the agenda of those meetings or coming up in the course of those meetings?
12:10 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
I recall that we should be vigilant and watch, you know, do our job and review the access to information requests, so--
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
When you say “vigilant”, do you mean vigilant in the sense of ensuring that information was released appropriately or do you mean vigilant in terms of protecting your minister, or the reputation of the government, or protecting the government from the release of sensitive or embarrassing information?
12:10 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
No: vigilant in the sense that if we know an access to information request is going to be released, we are well prepared to answer any questions, either in the House or through the media.
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
So that's in terms of preparing the minister for the release of the information, in that sense.
12:10 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
Yes.
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Did you feel pressure from the PMO or the Privy Council Office to head off the release of sensitive or explosive information?
12:10 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
12:10 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Did you feel pressure from the PMO or your minister to take a hard line on releasing information?
12:15 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
12:15 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Did you ever get yelled at by officials of the PMO because information was released from your minister's office that they felt was sensitive or embarrassing?
12:15 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
12:15 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Did you experience other political staff being dressed down, criticized, or ridiculed because information was released from the office of the minister that they worked for?
12:15 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
12:15 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
When your minister's office was notified that information was about to be released as part of an access to information request, were you the person who would have received that notification in terms of political staff?
12:15 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
If you mean did I.... I'm sorry, can you be more precise?
12:15 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Well, if the department, the ATI officials, were recommending release of information, were you the person on the minister's political staff who would have received that notice of the impending release of that information?
12:15 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
Yes.
12:15 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
What process did you engage at that point when you received that notice?
12:15 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
How it would usually work was that we would have.... And again, I'm put in this difficult position because I'm not supposed to talk about this, but--
12:15 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Well, I'm not asking you to reveal the questions that were put to you by the Information Commissioner's office, Mr. Togneri. I'm asking my own question. I'm not asking you to release anything about the investigation that's under way there. I'm asking you a question on what your role was when you received that notification that information was about to be released. What did you do at that point?
12:15 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
Under my delegated...under the delegated authority, I just reviewed the information and made sure that our communications were prepared for any answers or any questions that might be put to my minister, so I--
12:15 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
But you told me earlier that you didn't have delegated authority, Mr. Togneri.
12:15 p.m.
Former Parliamentary Affairs Director, Department of Public Works and Government Services, As an Individual
That's what I said; I didn't have delegated authority so I would receive the information, the access to information request, and I would ensure that any policy adviser or communications person be prepared with lines.