Suggestions, assistance offered in effort to increase transparency at B.C. Legislature

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – The heads of three provincial oversight offices are offering suggestions and assistance as the B.C. legislature grapples with allegations of overspending and wrongful terminations by two top officers.

They’re all calling for greater accountability, including broader freedom of information access.

“Those kinds of things that the public would expect should be subject to light and transparency,” Privacy Commissioner Michael McEvoy said. “This is something that myself and my predecessors have been calling for, for the better part of two decades.”

McEvoy says there are protections in place for that information that should not be public and that which should be, like expenses and how employees are dealt with.

“The courts have been very clear in demarcating between the operational end of the independent offices — that is to say investigations that are ongoing and so forth — and the administrative side of our offices.”

MLAs expenses are public, but top officials’ are not.

“I don’t see any difference or exceptions or additional challenges when the legislative assembly and its officers and MLAs are subject to the same kind of tests,” he adds.

WATCH: Inside the Plecas report on legislature spending

McEvoy, Ombudsperson Jay Chalke, and Merit Commissioner Fiona Spencer are calling for statutory changes in order to increase transparency and accountability at the Legislative Assembly.

The Clerk Craig James and Sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz remain suspended. They were escorted out of the legislature in November, and have denied wrongdoing.

The men are expected to respond to the claims against them this week.

Questionable expenses at the heart of the RCMP investigation of the two top officials are now being reviewed by the auditor general’s office, but that examination could take a year to complete.

‘It’s being done’

Meanwhile, House leader Mike Farnworth says they are welcoming the changes.

“I think they are very thoughtful, very positive recommendations that can significantly improve the transparency and openness of how the legislature functions and it’s my intention to see that all three of their recommendations,” he adds.

Farnworth says he will be in touch with them to look into the next steps.

“Let me be really clear, those three recommendations are going to be implemented,” he says. “What I want to do is see that we work with them as quickly as possible and get things done.”

He also says such recommendations would not be the only changes brought forward.

When asked why it has taken so long Farnworth said: “It’s being done and our commitment is to do that.”

Andrew Weaver also weighed in, noting the current structural framework needed to be changed.

“British Columbians deserve better than knee-jerk attempts to save face. The recommendations of the B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner. Ombudsperson and Merit Commissioner set a meaningful direction for a path towards improving checks and balances in the Legislative Assembly.”