Pease in a pod (XXI): the colour purple edition

Harper Government:

Legault's intensive probe of the Togneri case uncovered a so-called "purple file" process at Public Works, by which the minister's political staff reviewed potentially damaging access releases at meetings with the responsible public servants.

"This purple file process creates a high-risk environment for potential influence or interference with ATIA release decisions and timely disclosure under the Act," her report found.

Williams Government:

Our reason for asking? Because the premier's communications director accidentally sent us an e-mail telling another staffer that she "will need purple files" on two reporters who asked for year-end interviews with the premier.

Strange, then, that when we asked for copies of the files through Access to Information, we were told there were no records of any such documents - even though communications director Elizabeth Matthews confirmed to us in another e-mail "Purple files do exist, as I said before."