In honour of the third anniversary of Danny Williams’ promise to bring a whistleblower protection bill before the House of Assembly in the spring of 2008, here are a few relevant links.
1. The draft public interest disclosure law offered by Bond Papers to assist the Premier in keeping his promise.
Yes, you read that correctly: a complete piece of legislation ready for someone to lay before the legislature. Could be government. Could be the opposition.
There are three parties in the legislature and either of them could introduce the bill. Of course, if the government doesn’t want it, they will work to defeat it or stall the bill. But since it is their promise that remains unkept three years later, any action to further delay the bill would only add ignominy on top of shame.
In any event, there’s the bill if anyone in the House of Assembly is genuinely interested in protecting public interest disclosure. So far all the people of Newfoundland and Labrador have heard from the three parties is blather.
2. From May 2009, a post that picks up on some comments by the Premier with the conclusion that the Premier is evidently scared to death of a whistleblower protection law. Frankly there’s no other reason for his failure to keep his own promise.
He’s obviously scared.
3. From June 2009, here’s another post in which the Premier resorts to complete bullshit to deflect from his fear.
Well, fear or maybe he was just playing politics, like he did with a completely unfounded accusation he, himself, made in 2002.
4. And just for good measure, in a province with one of the highest levels of unionisation in North America, not to mention the highest level of public sector employment in North America, a reminder that the province’s largest public sector union talks a lot about about protecting public interest disclosure but just can’t deliver.
Come to think of it, there might be a shame that is at least equal to the unkept promise. Carol, Yvonne and Lorraine can collect their prize alongside the promise unkeeper himself.
- srbp -