Clark orders cabinet, staff to save all email following scathing report

(NEWS 1130 and The Canadian Press)  Premier Christy Clark has issued a directive to her cabinet ministers and all political staff to save all their emails. It’s in response to a stinging report released by the information and privacy commissioner that identifies major failures in the access to information practices in Clark’s office and two other ministries.

The premier says she expects her government staffers to do their utmost to follow the regulations of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Meantime, the NDP’s Freedom of Information Critic Doug Routley says there’s a culture of denial, deception and avoidance within the BC Liberal Party.

He’s calling for the resignation of Technology Minister Amrik Virk, after the commissioner reported Virk’s ministry, the Transportation Ministry and the Office of Premier were all implicated in failures to maintain accurate email records.

“The report points the triple-deletion of emails in order to completely erase the record. The commissioner points out that there is no possible reason, in terms of managing information, that someone would do that unless they were trying to cover something up and eliminate the information of government.”

The investigation surrounds email records and access to information requests, including an allegation that requests about the Highway of Tears were destroyed.

Mounties have been asked to investigate this case.

“The RCMP is aware of the referral from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and we will be reviewing the content of their report and assessing it with respect to possible Criminal Code offenses. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time as the review process has just begun,” says RCMP Sergeant Rob Vermeulen in a statement.