Kate McMillan's place is good for a laugh through the yawns once in a while. Here's one of her guest bloggers, EBD, snorting with indignation about Errol Mendes' column in the Ottawa Citizen yesterday. First, Mendes:
What the government can't do, if it does not want to torture Canadian democracy, is to force public servants to develop and promote policies they do not accept as in the interests of Canadians, and then pretend the public service is fully supportive of the ideologically driven policies.
Then Kate's comprehension-challenged assistant:
Yes, you read that right: it's up to public servants to decide whether they will accept or not accept the policies of an elected government, and they have a right to determine whether or not a particular policy is "in the interests of Canadians."
Actually, old chap, I did read it right. And Mendes is spot on: it is immoral to seek advice from public servants and then misrepresent that advice to the public. Some of us knew perfectly well that Tony Clements was telling porkies about the "support" he allegedly received from StatsCan on the long-form census, but it took the resignation of Munir Sheikh to drive that home to Canadians in general.
Ask for advice from those who have expertise: take it or not. You're the gummint. But don't lie about the people who gave it to you. And then make feeble attempts to jam your lie down the memory hole.
PS: To satisfy your clinical curiosity, be sure to read the comments. They never disappoint.
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