The Boessenkool Affair Cover-Up Plagues Christy Clark: Part II–Lynda Tarras Must Resign or the Premier Should Admit to Her Lies!

It’s been a day since Jonathan Fowlie of the Vancouver Sun and Bob Mackin of CKNW were both furnished with the news that the sordid affair that brought down Premier Clark’s Chief of Staff, has absolutely no paper trail and not a stitch of written record attached to it.

Remember, that the Premier herself made it abundantly clear that the procedures of the BC Public Service Agency were followed “to the letter.”

Really Christy?

Let’s have a look. Here is the link to the website of the BC PSA, and the specific passage dealing with Ken Boessenkool.

For those seeking a Cole’s Notes version of the now obvious lie being perpetrated by the Premier and her suite, let me help again.

The strict BC PSA policy covers the following behaviour(s) for excluded (non-union) employees:

• a person in authority asking an employee for sexual favours in return for being hired or receiving promotions or other employment benefits;

• sexual advances with actual or implied work related consequences;

• unwelcome remarks, questions, jokes or innuendo of a sexual nature including sexist comments or sexual invitations;

• verbal abuse, intimidation or threats of a sexual nature;

• leering, staring or making sexual gestures;

• display of pornographic or other sexual materials;

• offensive pictures, graffiti, cartoons or sayings;

• unwanted physical contact such as touching, patting, pinching or hugging; and

• physical assault of a sexual nature.

Ken Boessenkool not only served as Chief of Staff to Christy Clark, he also held the (customary) role of Deputy Minister.

Again, from the policy procedures section:

“These procedures will also apply if either the complainant or the respondent is a Deputy Minister.”

Now please, someone–anyone, explain to me how on God’s green orb it is at all possible for a complaint to have been examined by the head of the Public Service Agency, in this case, the examiner was indeed Ms. Lynda Tarras (who is paid by YOU, over $200,000 per year–exclusive of generous benefits and expenses), and not have ONE, just ONE, memo or note attached to the file.

THE PREMIER HAS LIED AGAIN. And Ms. Tarras, unless she chooses to explain how (and why) her own agency’s protocol was subverted and then completely breached, should be fired immediately for being complicit in this utter sham of a process.

It’s accepted that Christy Clark has no one left to lie to, but Ms. Tarras, by her silence, has not just sullied her own reputation, but too, that of the entire BC Public Service Agency, all its employees and management–and significantly so. If the public service agency of this province can be manipulated so easily, and with such breathtaking swiftness, then what other, greater level of corruption exists for this government to achieve? This cannot be their zenith, can it?

This is so very significant a story that I am absolutely ASHAMED of my media colleagues for not pursuing this immediately and vigourously.

Does it not resonate with any of them what’s really happened here? The Premier’s Office. clearly, led by the Premier herself,  has actively corrupted an agency of government that must not only be above reproach, but at the very least, be seen to be above reproach. No one is looking for the victim’s name (we all know it) or the salacious details, but it is key to the legitimacy of the process to know precisely how Mr. Boessenkool was dealt with and what the circumstances were of his dismissal.

The duplicity of Ms. Tarras is a sure affront to every employee in the public service of the province of British Columbia. Go and look at the link I’ve provided again–it couldn’t be more clear: the reports, in instances such as sexual harassment investigations, are noted IN WRITING, and are not available to an alteration of the procedures.

What if the alleged victim had a change of heart and wished to reopen the process? Not just Boessenkool’s alleged victim, I mean any victim. What has Ms. Tarras’ clear failure set as a precedent? A defence lawyer would have a field day, guilty client or not!

Interesting, is it not, that the alleged victim’s testimony, which would surely be part of an investigation–which MUST have been part of the investigation, was collected verbally and relayed to the Premier, again, verbally??? Can anyone possibly be daft enough to believe that? Sheer lunacy! But this is the LIBERAL WAY!

Vaughn Palmer wrote yesterday that Premier Clark’s conduct was “amateurish and sneaky,” I disagree. He didn’t go far enough.

I think Premier Clark’s conduct was dishonest and disgraceful.

Though, another thought, a much more depressing one, crossed my mind as I was pondering this whole unsavoury, scum-ridden affair last night, all while trying to fall asleep: think about how desensitized to this type of corruption we have become.

If Mike Harcourt were caught driving drunk on a stretch of Maui highway, he would have been immediately crucified. His resignation a virtual certainty. If Ujjal Dosanjh had been nabbed lying about his involvement in the sale of BC Rail–as evidenced in Basi-Virk doduments, the stories from the mainstream press would be endless. Frankly, they’d still be writing about it. Can you imagine? An NDP premier, whose top political lieutenant was an admitted briber of public officials, noting several rounds of meetings in his diary, with a then sitting deputy premier, and the media in the province would let this go??? Not a chance.

Now, we have a sitting premier, who has clearly and unequivocally been caught lying (again) about a much less-than-clear investigation into an affair which cost her former top aide his job–her Chief of Staff, no less, and we are treated to spurts of attention from a lapdog lazy press.

What an ignominy for any editor or producer in this province, at any station!!! You should all be fired en mass, en bloc for not making it this week’s top story.

Shameless bastards. What needs to have happen for you to act? Does a victim need to be raped or killed to bump the infernal dead baby story or displaced raccoon from the six o’clock reel?

What if it were your daughter next, and her alleged offender’s investigation was treated so shabbily, with such tremendous laxity? How would you feel then? Justice served?

If any woman employed by the provincial government of this province cannot be guaranteed a safe working environment, and this is being jeopardized by the Premier–a woman, and her pals in the mainstream press, then you need not ever ask again why Christy Clark polls so poorly with women–and will continue to do so, or why the press in this province is so reviled.

Because in the best chance Clark had to show she actually cares about women, she instead decided to fend for her own derriere, silence the alleged victim (a shame for the latter as well) and cover-up the scandal by actively participating in the subverting of set government sexual harassment investigation procedures, to the extent that the integrity of the BC Public Serivice Agency may now be irretrievably lost, unless redemption–if at all possible–doesn’t begin with the immediate resignation of its head, Lynda Tarras.

What a thorough and total disgrace.

_________________

To the frantic government worker, who contacted me yesterday through an anonymous server:

Please write me again through my ‘Contact’ page and I will furnish you with my personal email and office direct line.

Do not fear any of them, I am here to help you.

Confidentiality assured, information appreciated.

Thank you.

AGT