Sask Health Minister Tells House He Consulted With Privacy Commish 4 Times - Commissioner Says 'No He Didn't'
For the first time in decades, the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly is dealing with what the Speaker has ruled is a 'Prima Facie' breach of Privilege by Saskatchewan's Health Minister for telling the Official Opposition that he had consulted with the Privacy Commissioner on 4 separate occasions. The Privacy Commissioner recently wrote to all MLA's and advised that no such consultations had occurred.
"The NDP is alleging that Health Minister Don McMorris misled the public when he said the province's privacy watchdog was consulted about a controversial new plan to provide fundraising hospital foundations with the names of former patients.
But McMorris said that when he spoke of formal consultations, he was referring to the ones that took place between the health ministry and Information and Privacy Commissioner Gary Dickson between 2004 to 2007 under the previous NDP government.
McMorris said there was no need to seek Dickson's formal opinion again this year when the Saskatchewan Party government decided to proceed with the change to health privacy rules, because his opposition to the idea had already been made clear."
Regina Leader-Post
-CBC: Wall Government Misleads Public on Health Information Changes
"The NDP is alleging that Health Minister Don McMorris misled the public when he said the province's privacy watchdog was consulted about a controversial new plan to provide fundraising hospital foundations with the names of former patients.
But McMorris said that when he spoke of formal consultations, he was referring to the ones that took place between the health ministry and Information and Privacy Commissioner Gary Dickson between 2004 to 2007 under the previous NDP government.
McMorris said there was no need to seek Dickson's formal opinion again this year when the Saskatchewan Party government decided to proceed with the change to health privacy rules, because his opposition to the idea had already been made clear."
Regina Leader-Post
-CBC: Wall Government Misleads Public on Health Information Changes
I don't know why anyone would be surprised that McMorris is playing fast and loose with the facts. After all, Brad Wall does it all the time, with a big smile on his face. Take for instance, the smiling face on the billboards, claiming a 40% reduction in debt, while the provincial auditor states very clearly that the province's debt is rising substatially. Likewise, the claim of lower taxes for everybody, while power and energy rates climb by over 20% in just two years.
People are beginning to pay attention to what the Wallster is up to, and the little premier isn't handling it all that well. Just a little more than a year and we can correct the horrible mistake we made in 2007!
Posted by
Julian Bradshaw |
5:24 pm, May 04, 2010