Public Servants in the News

Accomplished doberman holds both ball and dachshund in her mouth.

A successful public servant is one you never hear about. People lionized within the halls of the bureaucracy for their skill, their experience and their long tenure are anonymous outside. This is as it should be. Attention belongs to the politicians.

So it's never a good sign when a public servant's name makes the news.

Take Steve Orsini, the Ontario government's most senior public servant, the Secretary of Cabinet. He's been in public service almost thirty years, a respected smooth operator whose signal accomplishment in a career full of same was the seamless implementation of the harmonized sales tax in Ontario. No mean feat.

But then he got his name in the news as part of the hiring panel that sought to bring in a candidate for OPP Commissioner so under-qualified that they had to change the job description and *poof* Steve Orsini was gone.

Other public servants - less admired than Steve Orsini - who have had their cover blown are the Clerk and Sergeant at Arms of the BC Legislature, Craig James and Gary Lenz. After being frog marched out of the Legislature in November last year, they have been accused of profligate spending of the public dime for their personal benefit. 

The most senior public servant in all of Canada went public recently, weighing in with testimony about the SNC-Lavalin kerfuffle. What happens to him remains to be seen.

Finally, Tony Dean, a former Ontario Secretary of Cabinet, shared his perspective on the role of the public service and the Doug Ford government in a purportedly public publication but which is really read only by public servants, so he should be OK. 

What's With the Puppies?

Pictured below are the droves of public servants who lined up for hours on Tuesday this past week to play with and pat three not-quite-full-grown dogs: a doberman, a dachshund and a pointer. 

 

The event started at 11:30. This is the line up at 11:30.
Note the First Nations artwork on the wall.

This all happened in the soon-to-be renovated 900 Bay Street, the early-70's edifice which exemplifies the aesthetic of grand public buildings that's long since been lost to austerity. All of the people in these shots - and the thousands of others currently working in the Queen's Park complex - are on April 1 this year slated to be moved to other premises for the duration of the renovation.

The local bargaining unit thought it might be fun for its members to allay moving-related stress levels by hanging out with some puppies. 

Thanks for reading!

Have a great week!

Karen