Who's next? Anyone?

On his blog today, David Eaves carries an anonymous note from a public servant, wondering whether the resignation of Canada's chief statistician will set off a larger chain of reflection/reaction from within the public service.  We hear hints almost every day of civil-service unease with the hyper-political bent of this government -- you just don't see many public servants standing up for themselves so publicly.  But maybe it only takes one brave soul to inspire some bravery in others>

Of course, the unease works both ways. Back in 2007, after a year in power, Prime Minister Stephen Harper had this to say in an interview with the CBC's Rex Murphy.

"Probably the most difficult job, you know, practical difficult thing you have to learn as a prime minister and ministers, our ministers as well, is dealing with the federal bureaucracy. ... It's walking that fine line of, of being a positive leader of the federal public service, but at the same time pushing them and not becoming captive to them. ... I could write a book on that one."

Personally, I think he should be working on this tome before he tackles the hockey book. It could be a LOT more interesting.

Comments

[Jakethesnake]

Wasn't this census guy a Liberal appointee? If others want to resign(or be brave as you try to frame it) they can and I am sure that others will be happy and quite eager for those positions. Good paying jobs with pensions!!!! Do not fret Susan the "brave census guy" can take Ralphie's position as luggage boy on the bus

[Jakethesnake]

Wasn't this census guy a Liberal appointee? If others want to resign(or be brave as you try to frame it) they can and I am sure that others will be happy and quite eager for those positions. Good paying jobs with pensions!!!! Do not fret Susan the "brave census guy" can take Ralphie's position as luggage boy on the bus

[Aongasha]

Susan you know full well, as a well entrenched member of the Ottawa/Toronto Bubble, that the upper echelons of the civil service (most of whom rose to the top under the Liberals)have long made the claim that they run the country not the politicians. It has long been their policy, decided upon at lunch in the Rideau Club, to balk any government initiative they don't agree with. They have yet to learn that a democratically elected government has the right to decide policy and they to facilitate that decision. It's about time that lesson was driven home to them

[Harry98]

Things like this make me laugh. The long form census is intrusive and I am happy to see it gone. I had to fill one out years ago and when I said I would not, I was threatened with a fine and/or jail. Good riddance, I say.

[geo]

I agree with Jake,these government workers have it made in the shade.

Job for life,benefits,days off with pay, and a pension that ordinary Canadians will never see.

Mr Shiekh resigned knowing at 62 years of age with 38 years of public service under his belt,he has nothing to lose...nothing.
A full pension is waiting in the wings to carry him into the sunset for the rest of his life.
This man didn't quit not knowing where the next job will be,he left without fear of having to look for work.
So he made a big bang when he left...so what,big deal.
The government pension and benefits are still there for him to enjoy.

The other 6000 at StatsCan?
Go ahead and quit on principle,just do it.
I'm sure the next job you get won't even come close to the pay ,benefits and pension you now enjoy.
The minute you leave there will be 10 others ready to take your place.
Government jobs in this country are the most lucrative jobs going...they last a life time without fear of ever losing them.....until now.

When the Conservatives get their majority,the deadwood and redundant positions in government will begin to disappear,and that is the biggest fear for those at StatsCan.

Many of those 6000 positions will become obsolete.

And in 6 months time the MSM and everyone else won't even remember this issue.

[E.J. Chartrand]

Oh well, he must have been a Liberal appointee. That seems to be the conservative take on any reasoned dissent with this sorry excuse of a government. Dr. Sheikh was appointed Chief Statistician of Canada in 2008 by the Harper government. So, Jakethesnake, do you have anything substantive to bring to the argument? The issue here is not partisanship, it's making sure that Canada practices good science. Next.

[Sarann]

Now we need someone from the Department of Environment to make public how the government is muzzling the scientists there if the scientists have anything to say they don't like. And all the discussion lines in all the papers are being swarmed with conservative comments - why do I think my tax dollarrs are paying for this?

[Cam]

According to his bio, Sheikh started with the federal government in 1972. Trudeau, a Liberal PM, was indeed in power then. So that means this plot started 38 years ago, and slipped through the Mulroney years, only to wait four years into the Harper administration to emerge only after Clement tried to slip some census changes through quietly.

Congratulations Jakethesnake, you've gone from odd all the way up to bat s**t crazy.

[MyOwnView]

Jakethesnake: "Wasn't this census guy a Liberal appointee?"

Sheikh became the 10th Chief Statistician of Canada on June 16, 2008. That would make him a Con appointee.

[RockyRacoon]

Harper is furthering the rape and plunder of Canadian resources at a pace unprecedented in Canadian history. While our governments have to a great extent relied on the extraction and sale of natural resources for revenue, there was a brief period, largely under Trudeau and the Liberals to expand the governments role in the market place ( other than passing laws in favour of private interests as is the role of any capitalist state). Imagine the gains we could have made with Petro Canada in the marketplace not only in making a contribution to the knowledge base and expertise but of keeping these monopolies in check. We are now facing the same prospect with the Atomic Energy Board of Canada and the loss of our nuclear industry and the Candu reactor. Soon, the billions Canadians have invested in this sector will be in the hands of a conglomerate like America's General Electric or perhaps a foreign government like France which actively participates in the development of that industry. Even our stinky tar sands are being piped to texas to be refined-that is if Alberta can get the American Congress to accept this dirty industry. In Canada our regulatory agencies don't have to fear being captured by those they are supposed to regulate as they are built right in there-Harper is allowing the regulated to regulate themselves and even has the option of a Ministerial excemption when the Oil boys just don't feel like submitting an environmental plan-sweet isn't it? Where did Ontario Hydro Go that we are still paying for yet somebody is making big bucks off of our formerly publically owned resource. Now Bell Canada owns the power grid and uses it to charge us exhorbiant internet prices. And it is old technology that they are selling us to boot-not even fibre optic-plain old copper connection. High speed my butt-and we already paid for this formerly public corporation. Canadians better get off of their rear ends and start fighting for what is ours before this country breaks up. Canada had to be conscously build from the East to the West-Harper represents the forces that pull Canada apart-the north south axis. When Harper said you won't recognize Canada when he gets through with it he was right. If their is anything but an empty shell of what was once a potentially wonderful examplar to the world, this country needs a hard turn to the left and the disentaglement of our national interests that are clearly not congruent with those of our neighbours to the south. Fox news north says all that has to be said about the Steve Harper agenda and what we can expect in the future.