Gomery Rec. #4: Bring back the gong show

Recommendation 4: In order to clear up the confusion over the respective responsibilities and accountabilities of Ministers and public servants, the Government should modify its policies and publications to explicitly acknowledge and declare that Deputy Ministers and senior public servants who have statutory responsibility are accountable in their own right for their statutory and delegated responsibilities before the Public Accounts Committee."

This is not an original idea. The Public Accounts Committee of Great Britain (PAC-GB) already does this. I think the intent is the right one. However, there is one small issue here that needs to be thought through very carefully.

PAC is a political animal. Anyone who sat through 10 minutes of the sponsorship hearing saw this. It has largely lost its deliberative role, and become largely subsumed to a partisan exchange.

A civil servant being held to account by a politcal body is a tricky thing. Gomery is unclear as to what he means by accountable in this area. Does he mean that PAC can fire them? Censure them? Tickle them until they talk?

PAC already has sub poena powers, so civil servants can already be dragged before them in chains if required - as can any Canadian citizen.

Unfortunately PAC resembles more the Gong Show on most days more than anything deliberative or informative. If we're looking for answers, it's the wrong place to go.

Incidently, PAC is made up of the same people who "often admitted—sometimes with regret—that they did not pay much attention to the Estimates,"

Not convinced? Check out the PAC report on Sponsorship. Then check Gomery's report. One of those two things is not like the other....

Publius Recommendation #2: Grow up.
By all means clarify the statutory gobble-dee-schmook around the Deputies whatcha-ma-call-ums. Fill your boots. But let the AG and the RCMP deal with them if they are naughty. And leave PAC out of it. PAC is part of the problem, not the solution.