Pallister, punchlines and the problem that won’t go away

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/08/2017 (3037 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

You know the old saying, “Someday we’ll all look back on this and laugh”?

Well, apparently, when it comes to the controversy surrounding Premier Brian Pallister’s careless and possibly deceptive communication practices while away from Manitoba on vacation, “someday” has arrived.

On Wednesday evening, the premier made light of the week of intense scrutiny he has endured as a result of recent revelations about his phone and email behaviour while out of the country. The information, released by the NDP after a series of freedom of information (FIPPA) requests, showed Mr. Pallister was not being completely forthright with his earlier statements that he remains in constant contact with staff while he is vacationing in Costa Rica. In fact, records showed he was only in limited contact with his legislative staff or cabinet ministers while on holiday.

The government records obtained by the NDP under FIPPA also revealed the premier used his wife’s private cellphone and email account for government business.

After several days in which he was unavailable to answer questions, the premier spoke to the Free Press on Tuesday and held a press conference on Wednesday, on both occasions defending his communication methods and taking offence at questions about his work habits while abroad.

Later Wednesday, before heading out for an evening of fun at Winnipeg’s world-renowned multicultural festival, Mr. Pallister issued a tweet: “Dear media, I will be travelling out of the country tonight. Trips to Ireland and India. Will have my gov cell on me if needed. @Folklorama.”

Credit where credit is due: that’s a genuinely funny Twitter missive.

What isn’t amusing, however, is the situation that created the setup for Mr. Pallister’s rimshot-ready social-media punchline.

Discussions about how, and how often, the premier communicates while on vacation have undoubtedly become as tiresome for the public as they have for Mr. Pallister. But the reason the issue refuses to be laid to rest is because he keeps giving other-than-straight answers to pretty simple questions.

At yesterday’s press conference, Mr. Pallister’s language shifted in a subtle but very significant manner. In May, while defending his Costa Rican contact methods, he said, “I’m in regular contact with my office. Lots of contact, I like to stay in touch with our team.” He also stated that he takes confidential documents so he can work on them from afar, adding, “I guard them carefully.”

On Wednesday, Mr. Pallister’s “regular contact” with the home office became “Not a day goes by that I’m not available, accessible.” And careful guarding of sensitive materials was amended to a statement of complete trust in his wife — the holder of a private email address to which official documents have been sent — as a confidante and adviser.

There’s no reason to disbelieve that Mr. Pallister is a hard-working guy who can be reached at any time if official business beckons. The problem is that what he told Manitobans as recently as a couple of months ago is not what he’s saying now.

The integrity of the premier’s spouse is not at issue here. But his decision to circumvent traditional channels — and possibly, as some critics eagerly suggest, avoid scrutiny — by using her private devices and accounts is, in the most charitable description possible, a massive lapse in judgment.

At Wednesday’s press conference, the premier offered another witty rejoinder: “Frankly, if sending emails and phone calls was your measure of effectiveness, we should have a teenager as premier of Manitoba.”

Also a pretty funny line.

But then, there’s this: a teenager would probably know better.