I’m a little hazy on this. Could someone please tell me, when did “It is the ministers and the ministry at large that are responsible to the House and to its committees, not their staff members” turn into “hide the truth if possible, otherwise find a staffer to blame and apologize, but only if politically necessary?”
“It is the ministers and the ministry at large that are responsible to the House and to its committees, not their staff members,” is what Stephen Harper told the House of Commons in defense of his decision to not let political aids answer calls to testify before parliamentary committees.
Hmm, parliamentary committees, aren’t they comprised of the Members of Parliament we elected to serve us in the House of Commons? It seems to me that we would want them to be able to question the people who are closest to the information that the committees need to do their work, preferably without that information having to pass through a PMO and/or Cabinet talking-points filter. Apparently, Mr. Harper doesn’t agree. But, never mind, the Ministers will take responsibility so we should feel secure in that, right?
I’m a little hazy on this. Could someone please tell me, when did “It is the ministers and the ministry at large that are responsible to the House and to its committees, not their staff members” turn into “hide the truth if possible, otherwise find a staffer to blame and apologize, but only if politically necessary?”
ReplyDelete“It is the ministers and the ministry at large that are responsible to the House and to its committees, not their staff members,” is what Stephen Harper told the House of Commons in defense of his decision to not let political aids answer calls to testify before parliamentary committees.
Hmm, parliamentary committees, aren’t they comprised of the Members of Parliament we elected to serve us in the House of Commons? It seems to me that we would want them to be able to question the people who are closest to the information that the committees need to do their work, preferably without that information having to pass through a PMO and/or Cabinet talking-points filter. Apparently, Mr. Harper doesn’t agree. But, never mind, the Ministers will take responsibility so we should feel secure in that, right?
http://unseatharper.ca/wordpress/2011/03/ministerial-responsibility/
At least they are consistent!
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