The Carbonear Declaration

“There’d be no reason why we wouldn’t get it on. I’m personally strongly in favour of it. I have no objection whatsoever.”

That was one Danny Williams, speaking in Carbonear, pledging to bring in “whistleblower protection” legislation, in response to NDP Leader Lorraine Michael’s dark suggestion, during the 2007 election campaign, of “calls in the night” from public-sector employees who were afraid to expose government wrong-doing for fear of retribution.

No reason. Strongly in favour. No objection. In fact, he promised to bring in such a bill in the very next session of the legislature.

The Word of Our Dan.

Three years ago Wednesday. Three years and three sessions of the legislature have intervened.

The last anyone heard, We were apparently researching how to make such legislation “tight”.

“Tight”, indeed. Pffff.

How hollow it all sounds now.

And how strange it is, that the hapless opposition parties, and the public-sector unions, have been so very unwilling to hold His Dear Feet to the fire over His Blatant Failure to keep such an important promise. Qui tacet consentire videtur.

For the record, here’s Recommendation No. 21 of the 2007 Green Report:

Recommendation No. 21

(1) A public interest disclosure (“whistleblower”) program should be implemented by legislation in the legislative branch of government;

(2) Under the program, members of the public service or MHAs who believe that wrongdoing, such as committing a statutory offence, gross mismanagement of public money, violation of a code of conduct or failure to disclose information required to be disclosed, has been committed by an MHA, the Speaker, persons employed in the House or its statutory offices, or members of the House of Assembly Management Commission should be provided with a mechanism to report such wrongdoing in confidence;

(3) The program should provide a means whereby the disclosure of alleged wrongdoing can be investigated in a fair manner and recommendations made for appropriate action to be taken;

(4) The Citizens’ Representative should be designated as the investigator under the program;

(5) The program should provide that no reprisals can be taken against any person making a disclosure in accordance with the program; and

(6) The Clerk should be tasked with undertaking at an early date the development of explanatory material relating to the program, and how it should be used, for approval by the Commission, and then for general distribution to members of the public service and MHAs, stressing the importance of the program and its full support by the Commission.