theBreaker.news Podcast: Ripping down the curtain

Change is coming to British Columbia, not because the NDP government is fulfilling an election promise. But because of Speaker Darryl Plecas's report that explained some of the reasons why he called the RCMP to investigate corruption at the B.C. Legislature . [caption id="attachment_7862" align="alignright" width="265"] Justin Trudeau, facing questions about SNC-Lavalin corruption in 2015. Look who is behind him.[/caption] Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael McEvoy, Merit Commissioner Fiona Spencer and Ombudsperson Jay Chalke told the Legislative Assembly Management Committee in a joint Feb. 5 letter that freedom of information needs to apply at the Legislature, whistleblower protection must be extended to staff there and merit-based hiring must be the rule. NDP house leader Mike Farnworth, who is also the Solicitor General, pledged to make it happen: “Let me be really clear: Those three recommendations are going to be implemented." The devil is in the details and the deadline. But Plecas's chief of staff, Alan Mullen, couldn't be happier that their work is starting to bear fruit. "We don’t want to just peek behind the curtain, we want to rip it down and make sure it stays down," Mullen said in a feature interview with theBreaker.news Podcast host Bob Mackin. "Our motives were simply this, look after British Columbians, look after the tax dollar." Meanwhile, in this week's edition of Reporter's Notebook, Mackin goes to the archive for audio from a 2015 news conference where he grilled Liberal leader Justin Trudeau about transit infrascture spending, corruption and SNC-Lavalin. Some three-and-a-half years later,the Prime Minister's Office is accused of meddling in the criminal prosecution of the corrupt Montreal engineering and construction company. Listen to Trudeau's answers and learn who was standing behind him at that news conference. Plus Pacific Northwest and Pacific Rim headlines and commentaries. Click below to listen or go to iTunes (aka Apple Podcasts) and subscribe. 

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