Wildrose MLA grills senior bureaucrat on political ties in public affairs bureau

A Wildrose MLA complained Tuesday about political messaging from the non-partisan civil service and questioned government employees on their political affiliation.

At a public accounts committee meeting at the Federal Building, Wildrose MLA Derek Fildebrandt grilled Corey Hogan, the managing director of the public affairs bureau, about the political ties of his colleagues.

Hogan was in the gallery at the meeting, but was invited to join the members at the committee table after Fildebrandt realized no one was representing the public affairs bureau.

Hogan said he had no party membership and said his office doesn’t track the affiliations of its employees. Hogan said it would be unconstitutional, in any event, to disallow people from joining parties. The restrictions in the civil service around political participation relate to activities like fundraising, he said.

“Partisanship in the public affairs bureau is nothing new. This goes back a very long time. Virtually everyone knows that the public affairs bureau is the propaganda wing of the government of the day,” said Fildebrandt, to reporters after the committee.

At question period on Tuesday, deputy premier Sarah Hoffman said it was important to respect the professionalism of the civil servants. As well as the carbon tax information campaign, the bureau also works on things like seatbelt enforcement ads and public health campaigns, she said.

Fildebrandt suggested the government use a system that used to be in effect in Ontario, where any government advertising had to be approved by the auditor general before it saw the light of day.

Fildebrandt also pressed Hogan on whether data from town halls conducted by the government could be used for partisan purposes. Hogan assured him that anything of that nature would be a violation of the freedom of information and privacy

“That was positive,” said FildeBrandt.