Friday, June 17, 2005

How the BC Liberals handle Whistle Blowing

Proposed Speaker of the House discusses new position
CKNW, (June 17, 2005).

PENTICTON/CKNW(AM980) - Premier Campbell's
selection for Speaker of the House is rejecting speculation
about why he's been demoted.

Bill Barisoff says he's proud to have the chance to serve
as Speaker and denies the recent uproar over endangered
turtles lead to his removal as Minister of Water, Land and
Air Protection.

He stands by the plan to move the turtles despite what
became a feeding frenzy by Liberal opponents, suggesting
the proposed habitat change would have been better for
the turtles.

The courts deemed Barisoff was in the wrong when he
approved construction of a new entrance into a park that
would have forced them to move the turtles.

Meanwhile, Barisoff says he intends to be as fair as possible
at his new post, should he be elected to the position.
***************************************************
Peons get quick lesson in environmental politics.
Kick Me Again, Have You Had Enough Yet?
(June 6 2005).

The ballots are counted, the Campbell Liberals rule supreme,
and in case anyone thought having 33 or 34 NDP MLAs
sitting in the Leg is going to make these Liberals liberals
on matters such as the environment or freedom of speech,
your local LIberal apparat set the tone beautifully last week.
Career civil servant Gordon McAdam was fired four hours
before his retirement for trying to save endangered painted
turtle breeding grounds.

That should tell the rest of the peons where they stand.
Shut up or pay the price.

According to the Globe and Mail, McAdam, who had won
six exemplary employee awards during his years of service,
was told he had three minutes to leave the building, and got
hauled out by security guards intent on not letting the
troublemaker pinch a pencil sharpener or vandalize a
watercooler.

The issue is whether it is or is not a good idea to save a
Kootenay developer considerable expenses by the
government paving the turtle breeding ground at public
expense without, natch, the adhering to government
guidelines and all that sort of red tape. McAdam, an
ecologist working for what used to be a Ministry of the
Environment, feel no regret at having blown the whistle
on your New Era types, and it isn't hard to see is it now
why a man might want to retire at the earliest opportunity
from a job with a government like that.

Looks like the painted turtles might be saved by court action.
We eagerly await a full report on the matter in the organs
of the CanWest media monopoly.
***************************************************
McAdams firing cries for whistle-blower law
Editorial. The Province, (June 16, 2005), p. A22.

Whenever we find the Canadian Taxpayers Federation
and BC's NDP clamouring for the same thing, it's time to
take notice. The two organizations are usually firmly
planted on opposite sides of the ideological fence.

But the unlikely allies have joined forces in calling for
provincial legislation that would protect whistle-blowers-
specifically, civil servants who squawk when the govern-
ment's trying to pull a fast one.

The need for such protection was highlighted recently
by the case of Gord McAdams, who blew the whistle
after Victoria set out to break its own BC Park Act,
and got fired for his diligence.

Of course, we have to take the call from Opposition
Leader Carole James's gang with a grain of salt.

But can Premier Gordon Campbell rise above partisan
politics and give us a law that is sorely needed?
We hope so.
***********************************************
The editor of the Province almost had me thinking that
they might be approaching this issue with common sense.
The second to last sentence, a weak attempt to continue
the NDP bashing and bias, shows that they still don't get it.
The NDP might actually be thinking of the public interest
"rising above partisan politics," unlike their Liberal buddies
and the self-interest inherent in their actions as stewards
of Crown lands.

Definition:
Whistleblowers:

Those who disclose information about something they
believe to be harmful to the public's interest, occurring
in business or in government. It includes disclosure to
authorities within the organization, to outside agencies
or to the media.

Reason for Whistleblowing Laws

Whistleblowing provisions are designed to facilitate
regulation and enforcement of laws by encouraging
employees to report evidence essential for industry
regulation and the prosecution of corporate wrongdoers.

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