Public Works launches investigations into leaks of government information - Yahoo! Canada News

Loose lips sink ships - tell that to the Gomery commission .
The public has the right to know how their money is being spent. PR
Public Works launches investigations into leaks of government information - Yahoo! Canada News: "Public Works launches investigations into leaks of government information
Sat Jan 27, 3:16 PM


By Dean Beeby
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OTTAWA (CP) - The Public Works Department has launched at least four 'loose lips' investigations in the last two years, as it tries to staunch leaks of government information to opposition politicians, lobby groups and journalists.
Records released under the Access to Information Act show investigators have pounced on even minor cases, mirroring the tight control of information that characterizes the current Conservative administration.
In June last year, for example, Liberal MPs Denis Coderre and Ujjal Dosanjh held a news conference complaining that the government's proposed purchase of four Boeing C-17 transport aircraft for the military would also give the maintenance contract to U.S. firms.
The two politicians released parts of a confidential April 10 briefing note, created to help ministers respond to Opposition attacks during question period in the House of Commons.
The incident triggered an internal investigation at Public Works, which determined that the document had not been previously released under the Access to Information Act and was therefore improperly leaked.
Censored records of the investigation do not indicate who made the complaint. A Public Works spokesman said only that it came from 'someone who works in the department.'
The inquiry was eventually abandoned when a senior official said the leak was 'minor' and 'mentioned that the information supplied during the news conference had been known by most members of Parliament as it was in the Conservative electoral platform.'
Considered far more serious was an anonymous fax sent to New Democrat MP Pa"