Running interference

Yesterday's Question Period serves up another example of the lengths the Cons have gone to in trying to control the flow of information from federal institutions - even ones which are supposed to be independent of the government:

Mrs. Bonnie Crombie (Mississauga—Streetsville, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, recently I requested a meeting with officials from a crown corporation, namely Canada Post. To my surprise, a staff member from the office of the Minister of State for Transport tried to crash my private meeting. Consequently, the minister would not allow the crown corporation, Canada Post, to meet with me without his micro-management.

Is it the practice for the Conservative political staffers to attend private meetings of crown corporations?

Hon. Rob Merrifield (Minister of State (Transport), CPC):
Mr. Speaker, I recall that I actually chatted with the member with regard to any information she would like about any crown corporation, not just Canada Post, and she is welcome to that. She is absolutely welcome to come to my office or to have it at any room in this place. Not only for that individual but for any of the opposition members, we would be more than obliged.

Mrs. Bonnie Crombie (Mississauga—Streetsville, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, crown corporations are supposed to operate at arm's-length from the government, but the Conservatives will not let crown corporations like Canada Post meet with an MP without overriding political control. However, we are supposed to believe that they have allowed the Federal Bridges Corporation, another crown corporation, to operate at arm's-length. The Conservatives cannot have it both ways.

When will the government admit there is nothing arm's-length about Senator Housakos, those Conservatives and the Federal Bridges Corporation?

Hon. John Baird (Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, CPC):
What is very clear, Mr. Speaker, is the member opposite wanted a meeting with a crown corporation. The meeting was offered to her. We offered to put everything on the table so she could get a briefing for her new role as critic for crown corporations, and I want to congratulate her on that promotion.

Of course, the latter question and answer are included primarily to point out the Cons' usual ever-shifting standards which apply only where politically expedient. But it's Crombie's initial story which sounds particularly noteworthy.

Presumably the Cons wouldn't have had any way of knowing that a meeting was about to take place between Crombie and Canada Post officials without a system requiring an arm's-length institution to clear its schedule with political staffers. And that reflects a worrisome enough degree of control Canada's Crowns to begin with.

But it's especially alarming that the Cons' priorities are so warped that even officials at Canada Post - presumably not a political hot spot by any stretch of the imagination - are being prohibited from meeting with opposition MPs (particularly with a government-approved "briefing" being offered as the alternative). And it's hard to imagine what actual work the Cons have time to do given how much of their effort seems to be focused on promoting themselves and running interference on their opponents.