Impersonal

When Jason Kenney's lies about calling staffers before committees were exposed, I pointed out an extra factor which aggravated the dishonesty, as Kenney used a tone and words designed to convey personal memory and opinion to spout talking points which apparently had nothing to do with his actual experience. And at the time, I considered that to be reason for complete distrust in anything Kenney has to say.

Little did I know just how systematic that pattern might be. But the CP's must-read series on the Cons' message control includes this sad reality:

CIDA, meanwhile, tried to put forward its returning Kandahar-based employees for interviews to highlight development efforts. “First-hand accounts by Canadians who have lived and worked in Afghanistan add credibility to Canada's role,” states one MEP.

Helene Kadi, in Kandahar from September, 2006, to August, 2007, was cleared to do several interviews. “Helene has gained experience and confidence in giving on-air statements,” says a Feb. 5, 2008, MEP.

The document laid out the desired “headline” for a proposed 10-minute interview by Ms. Kadi on a CBC Radio morning show in Thunder Bay: “Perspective from the ground: Canada makes progress in terms of development and reconstruction in Afghanistan.”

Ms. Kadi's MEP contained the same key messages – word for word – as one prepared for another CIDA employee.

On Feb. 12, 2008, returning CIDA manager Kevin Rex gave an interview to weekly Alberta newspaper the Airdrie Echo.

The separate MEPs for Ms. Kadi and Mr. Rex specified the same “key message:” “As a returned CIDA field staff, I have seen and experienced first-hand the accomplishments and results achieved in Afghanistan, thanks to Canada's role in that country.”

Needless to say, this particular MEP looks to have backfired so as to do about as much damage as possible. Now, it's public knowledge that the concept of "individuals speaking from experience" - even among employees presented for their independence - has been harnessed as a distribution mechanism for dishonest boilerplate talking points.

In effect, the MEPs make for official documentation that a purported "first-hand account" from anybody under the Cons' thumb is bound to be no less scripted than a government press release. And the result is that the right answer to supposedly personal stories can only be thorough skepticism as to who's actually put the words into the speaker's mouth.