An investigation into a plan to boost voter support for the BC Liberals among the province’s multicultural communities has revealed government misconduct and government resources used for partisan purposes.
Yesterday’s report (see downloadable PDF link, right) was prepared by John Dyble, deputy minister to the premier, cabinet secretary and head of the B.C. Public Service.
Dyble had been tasked with investigating the draft Multicultural Outreach Plan “to ensure that no government resources were inappropriately used, nor violations of the Public Service Act (Public Service Standards of Conduct) committed.”
Dyble’s report investigated a series of events beginning in March 2011 with the establishment of an office of the Minister of State for Multiculturalism and ending with the tabling of the draft Multicultural Strategic Outreach Plan in the legislature on February 27, 2013.
Dyble’s report concluded that there were violations of the Public Service Standards of Conduct, ranging from “passive participation to active leadership and execution of clearly inappropriate actions.”
The report singles out:
- Kim Haakstad, former deputy chief of staff, for permitting the development of the draft plan; and
- Brian Bonney, former communications director for multiculturalism, for not creating a distinction with his volunteer role with the BC Liberal Party and his role in the public service, resulting in a “serious breach” of the Public Service Standards of Conduct.
The report further identified two “notable” areas where the investigation determined a misuse of government resources.
“In one case, a payment was made to one of the community liaison contractors for work that was approved by Minister [John] Yap in the absence of a signed contract,” the report said. “In the second case, it is clear that at least a portion of Brian Bonney’s salary was paid for the time when he was doing partisan work.”
The report said that where conduct is found to be in breach of the Standards of Conduct, a range of consequences can be considered, “up to and including dismissal from employment with the public service.”
Bonney resigned February 21; Haakstad resigned March 1.
