Well, there was a bit of an uproar after Sheila Fraser, the Auditor-General, casually remarked in committee hearings yesterday that she had no intention of vetting her communications through the Privy Council Office. That led to this news story in the Star, and which led to a few bloggers and media types expressing justified shock at this. This was another example of more control freak tendencies of Harper going to the extreme.
Today, the Conservative government in Question Period, probably sensing the can of worms that had been opened, attempted to put the lid back on:
Government House Leader Peter Van Loan moved quickly during Question Period Thursday to shut down opposition attacks over a new policy first brought to light earlier this week during a committee appearance by Auditor-General Sheila Fraser. “The policy in question applies to government departments, not to the independent agents of Parliament, regardless of what those independent agents may conclude,” Mr. Van Loan told the House of Commons. “This government has no intentions of requiring those independent agents to vet their communications through the government in any way.”
So, it appears they’ve backed down on this attempt, but certainly something to keep an eye on.
