Consultants were paid $262,609 to coach federal managers on how to answer questions when summoned to testify before parliamentary committees. These consultants offered managers “strategic and practical advice” on committee appearances. They were hired to “review material and provide comments, advice, and suggested questions,” the cabinet wrote in an Inquiry of Ministry tabled in the Commons, per Blacklock’s Reporter.One would assume managers, unless they’re ‘special’ DEI hires, are qualified to review material and then answer questions about their work all by themselves. But that’s not entirely what coaching sessions are about.Taxpayers were charged more than a quarter million dollars over a two-year period for senior civil servants to be schooled on how to dodge, spin, and control the narrative.Leading the pack were CBC ‘experts.’ They billed $78,643 for coaching lessons on how to communicate — ironic considering the $1.4-billion taxpayer-subsidized broadcaster’s high-paid managers are in the business of communicating. .CARPAY: CBC’s ‘neo-nazi’ link to the Freedom Convoy is a camera trick, not journalism.Finance and health managers followed — including $38,000 by the Department of Finance, $27,540 by the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, and $19,210 by the Public Health Agency.The coaching fees were disclosed because Saskatchewan Conservative MP Steven Bonk asked, “with regard to preparations made by the government for witnesses representing any department, agency, or Crown corporation, including ministers who appeared or were scheduled to appear before parliamentary committees, what were the expenditures?”Canadians deserve transparent answers. But accountability from this secretive Liberal government is painfully elusive. .When grilled in the House by opposition members asking legitimate questions about issues impacting the lives of Canadians, Liberal MPs dodge, spin, and attempt to be clever. Fellow Liberal MPs reward word salad non-answers with applause and laughter. They make a mockery out of Question Period. Their laughter is at the expense of Canadians. But this arrogance is more contagious than the so-called COVID ‘pandemic.’ It trickles down and infects senior civil servants.Certainly, stepping out of office safe spaces into parliamentary committees intimidates some managers. Especially when they’re called upon to explain incompetence, mistakes, lack of achievement, wasteful spending, or plans and goals.And especially when facing formidable Conservative MPs like Calgary’s tenacious Michelle Rempel Garner, who, on behalf of grateful Canadians, goes at them like a dog on a bone when they get silly.When Rempel Garner tries to pry answers out of artful dodgers, she doesn’t fret about political correctness or hurt feelings.As immigration critic, she called Immigration Minister Lena Diab “a bad minister” during a December committee meeting. A wee brouhaha erupted.Immigration’s a sore issue. Diab couldn’t or wouldn’t answer whether she’d use the pending Bill C-12 — the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act — legislation to blanket extend or cancel temporary visas.Diab was offended because Rempel Garner interrupted her rambling and said: “I don't like your word salad, it's true. You are a very bad minister.” .Diab replied: “You know what, I prefer fattoush and tabouleh to your salad, at any time.” Hysterical, eh? Rempel Garner said that was “the oddest thing any immigration minister has said at this committee.” “It's my culture,” said Lebanese Canadian Diab.Such childish comments when discussing a critical issue. Does Diab’s dodging come naturally? Or was she coached by consultants?Rempel Garner zeroed in on non-citizen lawbreakers getting lenient sentences to avoid deportation. She cited the Indian national convicted of committing an indecent act when trying to buy sex from a teenage girl who was actually an undercover cop.The pervert was merely sentenced to a conditional discharge, one-year probation, and three months of house arrest by a judge who didn’t want to interfere with his immigration status.Diab said she wasn’t familiar with the case that made national news. She dodged when Rempel Garner asked if she’ll send a message to sympathetic judges to get tough on removing foreign criminals..Diab said that’s not her role.“So, you're pro-raper,” said Rempel Garner. Enter another tactic to avoid accountability. Stop, drop, and assume a fetal victim position when ‘meanies’ MPs like Rempel Garner demand answers.Deputy Minister Harpreet Kochhar, top manager in Diab’s department, wrote a letter lamenting that public servants are bullied and intimidated after appearing before the immigration committee. He took issue with their comments being shared with the public after they testify behind closed doors.“One source of harassment stems from short, decontextualized clips of committee appearances by public servants being posted on social media by Members of Parliament or their staff. These clips fuel anger among members of the public who then target our officials.”Sure, blame the clips — not the negative impact of what’s going on — for getting struggling Canadians riled up. The consultant’s coaching fees were revealed in Kochhar’s letter about MPs being too harsh.It’s hard to say if these public servants are easily offended snowflakes or actually face legitimate threats..If the latter, Rempel Garner advised them to “call the police.”But no grovelling mea culpa from her about questioning immigration officials on policy. Instead, a promise to keep fighting to “get them to do the right thing.”“I will not be silent,” said Rempel Garner, who rightfully accused Kochhar of trying to “censor” Conservatives.Nobody expects managers to be great orators. Proof lies in how Liberal PMs, both former and present, repetitively utter “uh” when answering questions and leave listeners struggling to decipher what they said.But incomplete testimony of department managers was often “unclear” and indicative of “a culture of managerial incompetence,” said Rempel Garner. MPs have a “duty” to question them. The nonsense permeates committees and hearings, in part, thanks to coaching consultants.Is it too much to ask federal managers to show up prepared? To be fluent in at least one official language? To tell the truth? To answer uncomfortable questions? To shed thin skins? It’s not about their delicate feelings. It’s about their performance and an obligation to serve taxpayers.If they focused on fixing problems triggering taxpayer frustration and were transparent, they wouldn’t need coaching on the art of spin. That’s not going to happen during the Liberal reign.While there’s a demand for consultants to bail managers out, Canadians desperately need more of what Rempel Garner delivers.
