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Rick Bell
Alberta ethics commissioner says re-hiring booted ex-Tory minister Evan Berger OK 14
By Rick Bell ,QMI Agency
First posted: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 09:49 PM MDT | Updated: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 10:13 PM MDT
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Within the family, the government family. It’s one hell of a head-turning quotation.
On Wednesday, Neil Wilkinson, the guy in charge of ethics for the province, says the taxpayer-funded ultimate soft landing is A-OK.
There is no problem with the Redford Tories hiring ex-Tory cabinet minister Evan Berger to be a so-called deep thinker in the very department he ran, putting him on the payroll for $120K a year soon after the voters booted his backside out of office.
After all, says Wilkinson, “he’s within the family, the government family.”
Now not being in the family, not getting close to gaining admission to the family, reviled by more than a few in the family, the rabbit ears of curiosity go up.
It’s time to see how this deal somehow passes the smell test and what this talk about the family is all about.
Well, explains Wilkinson, the opposite of being within the family would be a cabinet minister getting a cushy job from a company after doing them a favour.
Not being in the family would be a cabinet minister immediately seeking a contract from the province for his company or working for an outfit and sharing inside information.
On this gig, it’s within the family. For Berger, there is no one-year cooling-off period before having dealings with the government.
He’s still in the government family.
Though neither the ethics commish nor this scribbler could recall another case like Berger, Wilkinson says he looked at the information provided, he and his people did the analysis and found no conflict between Berger’s private interest and the public interest.
“They can move within the government family. In the family there’s no information to share. They know it all,” says the ethics boss.
In fact, he goes further, there is actually a “substantial furtherance of the public interest.”
Wilkinson says a lots of files need to be completed and Berger “can hit the ground running and get things done.”
He says Berger isn’t free to do anything. He can’t fundraise for the Tories or help run the Tory party.
After only four years as an MLA, he scores a $147,000 cheque after the good people of the Livingstone-Macleod riding send him packing. He can’t collect that cheque for a year.
The minder of the ethics of provincial politicians and paper shufflers adds Berger is “not a senior official. He’s an adviser.”
But isn’t this hiring being seen as failing the smell test?
Wilkinson says “the political ramifications are outside our realm.”
Besides, next year the province will look over its conflict of interest law and Wilkinson says people can suggest changes.
Isn’t this talk about the family sure to poke a stick in the hornet’s nest of critics?
Wilkinson admits folks might figure “the family” sounds “too cozy.”
Wilkinson suggests instead of “within the family” you could say “within a corporate structure.”
“The government family” could be read as “the government of Alberta public service.”
And, what of the optics, the look of this deal?
He says it’s “fair ball” to criticize. That’s democracy but Berger is in.
Wilkinson also mentions he isn’t in the family. He’s “totally independent.”
Having the man on the phone you couldn’t resist asking him of the hat he wore before this one, while in a branch of the family, the province-run health system.
Remember Allaudin Merali who ran up $346,000 as boss bean counter of Edmonton’s Capital Health Region?
Well, those tabs were fine with the head of the region and that boss reported to the board and the chairman of that board is now ethics commissioner Wilkinson.
There’s an auditor peeking at Merali’s receipts but the province’s current health superboard isn’t interested in looking into any part Wilkinson may or may not have played.
Wilkinson says he will talk to the auditor if asked but, as he says, “that’s well in the past for me.”
Airdrie MLA Rob Anderson was in the family, didn’t like some of the antics of the family, left the family and has been doing tell-all interviews about the family ever since.
The family isn’t happy with him. More than a few wish he’d never been in the family.
Anderson insists if this Berger deal isn’t wrong, nothing is wrong. He’s getting warm.
How often has anyone been found guilty of crossing the line?
Don’t think hard. It’s a number less than one.
“Why don’t we just torch the conflict of interest law?” asks Anderson.
Don’t give anybody any ideas.
“The whole thing stinks. Every day Alberta politics sounds more and more like a sequel to The Godfather.”
They do make a lot of offers few can refuse.
Rick Bell
Alberta ethics commissioner says re-hiring booted ex-Tory minister Evan Berger OK 14
By Rick Bell ,QMI Agency
First posted: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 09:49 PM MDT | Updated: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 10:13 PM MDT
Change text size for the storyPrint this story Report an error
Related Stories
•Lavish expense claims chase Allaudin Merali out of AHS
•Platt: Doug Black's expensive tastes sour Canadian Taxpayers Federation
•Merali sparks more questions
Within the family, the government family. It’s one hell of a head-turning quotation.
On Wednesday, Neil Wilkinson, the guy in charge of ethics for the province, says the taxpayer-funded ultimate soft landing is A-OK.
There is no problem with the Redford Tories hiring ex-Tory cabinet minister Evan Berger to be a so-called deep thinker in the very department he ran, putting him on the payroll for $120K a year soon after the voters booted his backside out of office.
After all, says Wilkinson, “he’s within the family, the government family.”
Now not being in the family, not getting close to gaining admission to the family, reviled by more than a few in the family, the rabbit ears of curiosity go up.
It’s time to see how this deal somehow passes the smell test and what this talk about the family is all about.
Well, explains Wilkinson, the opposite of being within the family would be a cabinet minister getting a cushy job from a company after doing them a favour.
Not being in the family would be a cabinet minister immediately seeking a contract from the province for his company or working for an outfit and sharing inside information.
On this gig, it’s within the family. For Berger, there is no one-year cooling-off period before having dealings with the government.
He’s still in the government family.
Though neither the ethics commish nor this scribbler could recall another case like Berger, Wilkinson says he looked at the information provided, he and his people did the analysis and found no conflict between Berger’s private interest and the public interest.
“They can move within the government family. In the family there’s no information to share. They know it all,” says the ethics boss.
In fact, he goes further, there is actually a “substantial furtherance of the public interest.”
Wilkinson says a lots of files need to be completed and Berger “can hit the ground running and get things done.”
He says Berger isn’t free to do anything. He can’t fundraise for the Tories or help run the Tory party.
After only four years as an MLA, he scores a $147,000 cheque after the good people of the Livingstone-Macleod riding send him packing. He can’t collect that cheque for a year.
The minder of the ethics of provincial politicians and paper shufflers adds Berger is “not a senior official. He’s an adviser.”
But isn’t this hiring being seen as failing the smell test?
Wilkinson says “the political ramifications are outside our realm.”
Besides, next year the province will look over its conflict of interest law and Wilkinson says people can suggest changes.
Isn’t this talk about the family sure to poke a stick in the hornet’s nest of critics?
Wilkinson admits folks might figure “the family” sounds “too cozy.”
Wilkinson suggests instead of “within the family” you could say “within a corporate structure.”
“The government family” could be read as “the government of Alberta public service.”
And, what of the optics, the look of this deal?
He says it’s “fair ball” to criticize. That’s democracy but Berger is in.
Wilkinson also mentions he isn’t in the family. He’s “totally independent.”
Having the man on the phone you couldn’t resist asking him of the hat he wore before this one, while in a branch of the family, the province-run health system.
Remember Allaudin Merali who ran up $346,000 as boss bean counter of Edmonton’s Capital Health Region?
Well, those tabs were fine with the head of the region and that boss reported to the board and the chairman of that board is now ethics commissioner Wilkinson.
There’s an auditor peeking at Merali’s receipts but the province’s current health superboard isn’t interested in looking into any part Wilkinson may or may not have played.
Wilkinson says he will talk to the auditor if asked but, as he says, “that’s well in the past for me.”
Airdrie MLA Rob Anderson was in the family, didn’t like some of the antics of the family, left the family and has been doing tell-all interviews about the family ever since.
The family isn’t happy with him. More than a few wish he’d never been in the family.
Anderson insists if this Berger deal isn’t wrong, nothing is wrong. He’s getting warm.
How often has anyone been found guilty of crossing the line?
Don’t think hard. It’s a number less than one.
“Why don’t we just torch the conflict of interest law?” asks Anderson.
Don’t give anybody any ideas.
“The whole thing stinks. Every day Alberta politics sounds more and more like a sequel to The Godfather.”
They do make a lot of offers few can refuse.
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