Hansard Excerpt:
G. Heyman: Last Thursday, the Minister of Transportation expressed disappointment in the actions of his chief of staff. He also said that his staff followed the law 100 percent of the time — except when they don’t, and they have to be fired. Sorry, hon. Speaker, that’s not strictly accurate.
This government doesn’t have the courage to fire staff who break the law. They just let them resign and stick taxpayers with the legal bills. Yet the most interesting point is the minister’s admission that he regularly triple-deletes e-mails, casting himself as role model for the law-breaking activities in his office.
My question for the Minister of Transportation is: who taught him to triple delete e-mails to hide important government documents?
Interjections.
Madame Speaker: I would caution all members on the use of parliamentary language.
Hon. T. Stone: First, as my colleague, the minister responsible, has stated….
Interjections.
Madame Speaker: Just wait.
Hon. T. Stone: Thank you, hon. Speaker.
As my colleague has stated, the official record of government decisions and the actual reflection of those decisions are all retained within our ministry offices, right across government.
I will add this, though, with respect to the member’s question. Prior to being elected, I was a technology CEO for 15 years. It was a matter of policy in my company, from a records management perspective, that in an effort to minimize storage space required and minimize costs related to service space, staff, myself included, were encouraged to manage our e-mails appropriately.
I have carried that practice forward to my current role. From time to time, as I acknowledged completely on Thursday of last week, I would empty my deleted folder. I have never deleted…. I do not delete information that is transitory in nature. I believe that I have acted in compliance, to this point, with the appropriate legislation. As the Premier directed all ministers and political staff and parliamentary secretaries last Friday — which I have embraced and I welcome — I will, as my colleagues will, no longer delete any sent e-mails.
Bottom line is I will continue to operate fully within the confines of the appropriate legislation.
Madame Speaker: Vancouver-Fairview on a supplemental.
G. Heyman: Apparently the Minister of Transportation listened to Colin Hansen’s pathetic defence of government policy on CBC this morning and now thinks that British Columbians who want access to information should engage in a treasure hunt.
[1415]
George Gretes said that the Minister of Transportation’s administrative coordinator taught him how to triple-delete e-mails. The minister’s administrative coordinator denied this claim. She said that she had never heard about the practice until she came to work for this minister in British Columbia. She said that she was told she needed to learn how to permanently delete e-mails so that information didn’t “get out there.”
My question to the minister is this. Did he teach George Gretes how to triple delete e-mails, or did he just give the orders that led to repeatedly breaking B.C.’s information laws?
Hon. T. Stone: Let me be really direct and very blunt with the member opposite. The short answer is no. But I will also add this. I have said consistently, including last Thursday — I’ll say it again here today — that I expect that all staff in my office, as all of my colleagues also expect of staff in their offices, to adhere to the legislation. And if an individual does not, there are consequences.
Now, I think that it would appear that the members opposite have actually read the report, and they would know that in the case of the individual in the Ministry of Transportation office…. According to the commissioner, it would appear that he was not in complete compliance with the act, and, therefore, there are likely to be further consequences.