Shutting Out the Public
How the BC Liberals closed off the view to public deliberations.
Last in a three part series on “open government” in BC.
If the late Liberal MLA Fred Gingell is remembered for one thing by advocates of open government, it is a policy he insisted on during his illustrious years as chairman of the legislature’s public accounts committee.
The committee is among the more important of all of the legislature’s select standing committees. Its task is the detailed examination of public spending, taking its cues from reports by the auditor general.
Despite persistent pressure from the legislature clerks—the officers of the house who provide legal and procedural advice to the legislative assembly—Gingell steadfastly refused to end public access to the committee’s meetings. The clerks urged that whenever a legislature committee dealt with its report to the house, the meeting should go in camera. The urgings were largely successful, for most committees did ban the public when discussing their reports.
But to his great credit, Gingell wouldn’t budge and the meetings he chaired remained open. Sadly, with Gingell gone, secrecy has returned to meetings of the public accounts committee.
Why is the admission of the public so important to the meetings? In a word, accountability. Far too often, the exchanges between MLAs during the public sessions are vapid. It doesn’t require a deeply suspicious mind to imagine that once the doors are bolted shut, our elected representatives take the gloves off and say what they really think. (While there is a version of Hansard recorded during the secret sessions, it is for the eyes only of committee members only, and is never publicly released.)
Curtain of secrecy
Here’s how Liberal MLA Barry Penner, a member of the finance and government services committee, explained the committee’s move into secret session on December 5, 2001: “If we’re trying to be making recommendations as a committee to the legislature, is it not appropriate that the other MLAs be the first to hear about that before the information goes elsewhere?”
Added Penner: “All committees go in camera when they’re drafting their reports, so I think that’s nothing unusual.”
Penner was wrong. Besides the Gingell-headed public accounts committee, a special committee established to review the freedom of information law, which met from 1997 to 1999, considered its final report to the legislature in public sessions. Yet as far as I am aware, no constitutional crisis arose in consequence.
Without exception, all of the legislature’s select standing committees now meet in secret session while debating their final reports. Perhaps the greatest irony related to closed-door meetings concerns a second special legislature committee that reviewed the freedom of information law. During the period from March 1 to May 20, 2004, the committee met nine times. On eight of those occasions, the meetings were closed for at least part of the time. In many cases, the secret sessions occupied the bulk of the meetings.
And the reason for the secrecy? So MLAs could discuss freedom of information!
Open Cabinet Meetings? Not Quite
Another measure that might appear at first glance to be opening up the government, in fact does no such thing. When the Liberals promised to hold regular “open cabinet meetings,” televised live around the province, eyebrows were raised. How on earth can the executive branch of any government properly conduct its business when its meetings are broadcast and recorded verbatim for posterity?
To many, it seemed like a silly campaign gimmick, one which would soon be forgotten after the election. However, the Liberals were cleverer than they might have appeared. While retaining the name “open cabinet meetings,” the government turned the events into what amounted to televised press conferences, with all ministers ordered to attend, spouting their scripts.
Whenever, sporadically, they occurred, that is. As Tyee columnist Will McMartin reported in December, 2004, the Liberals promised one open cabinet meeting a month, but over the first 41 months, the Campbell government found time for just 30 of them. And one of the Liberals’ biggest promises for open cabinet meetings fell by the wayside on major budget issues like RAV. That 2001 promise: "Ensure that major capital spending decisions and land-use decisions … are decided by Cabinet in public, and not behind closed doors." Still, from the Liberals’ viewpoint, the meetings hold one big advantage over press conferences: While reporters are permitted to attend, they are not allowed to ask questions. And that’s how, under the guise of “open government,” the Liberals created a brilliant, taxpayer-funded, regular public relations exercise.
If that seems to be nothing more than wild speculation, there’s evidence to the contrary. On July 17, 2001, the night before one open cabinet meeting, the cabinet met for 90 minutes at La Bodega restaurant, on Vancouver’s Howe Street. Of course, since that meeting wasn’t open, we’ll never know what was said or done there. To be fair, “pre-cabinet” meetings are held before ordinary “closed” cabinet meetings as well. However, according to the premier’s official agenda that summer, obtained under a Tyee information-access request, second closed, supplementary meetings were scheduled for after every open meeting—but not after ordinary closed ones.
Typical premier’s agenda
For instance, here’s how the premier’s agenda for August 15, 2001 read:
9 a.m. –11.45.a.m. [Open] Cabinet Meeting
11.45 a.m.—1 p.m. Cabinet Meeting Resumes (Chambers)
It isn’t much of a stretch to imagine the premier opening the 11.45 a.m. meeting with the following: “Good morning ministers. Now that the show’s over, let’s get on with the real meeting.”
To put it another way, the good news is that the public is entitled to attend an occasional cabinet meeting, or watch it on TV.
The bad news is that nothing happens at those highly scripted meetings.
Wednesday: 'Open, Transparent and Accountable'
Yesterday: Foiling Freedom of Information
Russ Francis is a veteran legislative reporter based in Victoria. He writes for Monday magazine and a variety of other publications. This article is adapted from his chapter in Liberalized: The Tyee Report on British Columbia under Gordon Campbell's Liberals. ![[Tyee]](http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ui/img/ico_fishie.png){kind=small}
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sirjohna
6 years ago
Comments on "Shutting Out the Public"
pump it up tyee!!
Frank
6 years ago
the truth hurts
Chris H
6 years ago
The "open" cabinet meetings were a way to give money to their buddies who produced them. Nothing more.
chuckstraight
6 years ago
Want to see something really gutless? Check out ndpnotagain.ca. There`s no place to comment or any mention of an E-mail address to send comments to. All paid for by the Independent Contractors assn (large contributor to BC Lieberals. At least the Tyee allows everyone to put their two cents in, regardless of point of view.
Sunny Samson
6 years ago
Here's a great concrete example of Campbell's attitude toward open communication, his lack of respect for voters, and a demonstration that Campbell doesn't represent all British Columbians, only those who support him:
I heard a CBC News radio sound clip of Gordon Campbell being heckled by one brave man in the Interior of BC a day or two ago, at a Prince George rally I believe. The "heckler" was calling into question Campbell's insistence that selling BC Rail was good for BC. Campbell's response to this man's specific, and forceful but respectful, points was -- and I'm not kidding -- "blather, blather, blather."
Campbell actually responded by saying "blather, blather, blather." That was his entire answer to this man's concerns! In fact it wasn't a response because he interrupted the man, and spoke over his comments. It was like a child would respond, sticking his fingers in his ears so he can't hear what someone is saying to him.
Of course, the news item didn't call attention to Campbell's astonishingly childish response, it was just at the tail end of the audio clip, and I'd be very surprised if this gets airplay in "mainstream media." This "slip" showed that the real Gordon Campbell is never very far from the slick, superficial media persona he presents as a means to hookwink the public of B.C. Imagine what he must really be like in private. It boggles the mind.
Folks, if this isn't reason enough for us to run screaming to the polls to mark an X for anything but the Liberals, I don't know what is.
sirjohna
6 years ago
chuck; thanks for the tip. what a great website. good to have a refresher on what these fools did while in power, also good to see that many of them are back, and that carole james thinks they did a good job with the economy. no wonder the left is so confused and frustrated these days.
Sunny Samson
6 years ago
I just heard another CBC Radio report of the Prince George incident where a lone dissenter was bullied into silence by the words "blather, blather, blather" and this show said it was Campbell's aid who said these words, not Campbell himself. So, I wish to correct my earlier account. Apparently, Campbell himself is so surrounded by security men that such an encounter wouldn't have been possible.
allan
6 years ago
Chuckstraight, the Independant Contractors Association has a practice of cowardly deeds usually perpetrated with the assistance of the provincial Liberal Party.
No one should be surprised, however. These knuckle draggers formed back in the days with today's Liberals proudly called themselves Socreds.
If you look back at the actions of this and other anti-union groups you will see a pattern of deception, conniving with right wing governments and and abuse of working people.
They'd be the same group that hopes to get bags full of cash from Gordon Campbell's local olympic committee buddies who will be handing out the big olympic construction contracts.
That sirjohna should endorse those enemies of the working person tells me much about his grasp on BC politics.
He sounds like one of those corporate feeders you often find when you get to the bottom of things.
Just another
Chris H
6 years ago
sirjohna:
What matters the most to people is the amount they bring home in their pocket after they have taxes deducted. In 2004, BC ranked 7th in terms of growth in personal disposable income. BC remains under the national average for personal disposable income and we could quickly be giving up 3rd spot on the list to Quebec or Saskatchewan if the trend holds. Doesn't look to me like everyone is reaping the benefits of our strong economy. But, then again, Gordon Campbell sees nothing wrong with 12 year olds working for $6 an hour at Macdonalds even though they are failing all their classes at school.
sirjohna
6 years ago
allan, chris; blather blather blather blather blather....
tommymoore
6 years ago
Definitely true to character, sirjohna. You're one of the puppets who continuously reiterate the lies, obfuscation, and blather the Socred aka Liberal lackies are wont to mouth. In between breaths. Keep repeating what your drinking driving, woman hating, poor bashing, heartless, mean spirited, corporate toady lying premier Gordo the thug tell you too. If you say it enough, perhaps somebody will listen. If they disagree, don't debate it, just follow Campbell's example; cover your ears and yell blather, blather, blather.
Dungeness_Crab
6 years ago
Someone once told me that drying out without a 12-step makes one mean. Looks like the case with Gordo(Bush Lite).
And I promise not to be offended by any "bottom feeder" references. :)
BrianWhite
6 years ago
i have noticed a few references to elections bc preparing to take away the charitable foundation status of ken woo and the wilderness comittee (or whatever one he represents) because he is distributing partizan literature. He basically says the government are relaxing the laws on environmental abuse.
(Reality). Anyway, that is probably shutting up other environmental organizations and charatable organizations.
Now, I imediately thought of the Fraiser institute. They spew right wing garbage all the time. Isnt that partazan? And they are subbosedly a charity? So, why isnt their charitable status revoked? I have called for a looney left Crane institute in the past. Registered charity of course! And just to counteract the dispersions of the fraiser institute and poke fun at them.
They are ammassing credibility. Comedy might be the only way to make people see them for what they are.
They have a whole section of the van sun devoted to their "snobby private schools are better" study today. (fund the public schools better is the simple answer to awful standards in those schools).
Coyote
6 years ago
Where do I donate for my tax deduction?
I only disagree with one small point. While they no doubt are "amassing credibility" with the media and Lib wingnut politicos..., well, who are actually a part of assisting them in trying to amass credibility-, getting frequent mention even on the CBC, whom they would privatize in a heartbeat, they are first, in my encounters with "the public" not even a widely known or understood "brand name".
And of folks who do know of them, they are generally pretty well understand as "the boss's think tank" or even less flattering terms.
(It's the number of Canadians who get their news from CNN that really boggles men, and still manage to maintain typical Canadian values and attitudes, though maybe a little sucky and over sympathetic to the US.)
The reality is, I think, that wider sections of orginary folks are slowly coming to make the linkages between these kinds of wingnut think tanks, corporate think, undue influence and priviledge, Big Media to "Failing/failed" or at least "Limited/Handicapped Democracy" and economic decline.
It is not well understood what can be done about it, and most seem to think not anything, by a defeatist public mindset right now, but "the street" or "folks" generally see and know more than the polls or "limited democratic options" would seem to indicate, I think anyway.
Still a useful and interesting comment by yourself, Brian.
Chris H
6 years ago
sirjohna:
That was the most intelligent thing to come from your keyboard in some time! What a great way to show the level of respect Gordon Campbell has given to anyone who comes up with a sound argument against his policies. You are merely following his lead. I'm sure he'd be proud of you.
sirjohna
6 years ago
sound argument? broken record more like it.
Ron Erwin
6 years ago
Regarding web sites that simply bombard you with propaganda. Have you ever gone to moveon.org ? It;s a website funded by George Soros. It's main goal is to try and destroy George Bush. You cannot respond to thier hateful diatrabe. I respect thetyee for allowing an exchange of dialogue.
allan
6 years ago
Is it shutting out the public or is it hiding from the public?
The same game goes on now with the election in full swing. Gordo's guys have the funds to advertize their "promises" steadily in the maintained media, yet he can't be found by a non-Liberal anywhere.
I wonder if any of my municipal tax dollars went into the Liberal coffers in the form of payment for an economic development conference that was really just a backdoor and backhanded means of contributing to the Liberal party by either extremely stupid or extremely Liberal municipal leaders.
The same situation is occurring in Kamloops where both Liberals Kevin Krueger and Claude Richmond have adamently refused to participate in two public forums.
According to the louder of the two, Krueger says the decision was made because the people behind the public sessions are, in his mind, biased.
But that certainly hasn't stopped him from promising he will turn up at a more friendly Chamber of Commerce all candidates's meeting, as will Richmond apparently, however, Claude seems to have contracted laringitis as he ain't saying anything he doesn't have to these days.
Now the Chamber of Commerce, often mistaken for the chamber of comics, is of course a paragon of non-biased bafflegab if I have ever met one.
Far be it from chamber types to hype the crap out of anyone right of Attila and to scream blue murder if the word taxes comes up in a conversation.
Krueger, in his poor English, still hasn't figured out that non-biased doesn't mean freinds and colleagues who'll stack the deck.