Fired and Muzzled Officials

Prime Minister Harper has had frequent differences of opinion with high level bureaucrats and officers of Parliament. Almost invariably he has responded by muzzling, firing, or refusing to reappoint them to their positions, rather than allowing professional public servants to perform their duties on behalf of Canadians.

Confrontations between the Prime Minister and many of Canada’s senior public servants began soon after his first cabinet was sworn in and continued up until the dissolution of parliament.

* Spring 2006 – Allan Amey, President of the Canada Emission Reduction Incentives Agency, created to oversee federal compliance with the Kyoto Protocol, was fired and the agency dismantled.
* September 2006 – Yves Le Bouthillier, President of the Law Commission of Canada, fired after all federal government funding for the Commission was eliminated.
* September 2006 – Andrew Okulitch, scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada, fired for objecting to an order to turn federal correspondence into political propaganda by injecting a mandatory reference praising "Canada's new government." After much public outrage, the government was forced to reverse its position and reinstate Mr. Okulitch.
* September 2006 – Jack Anawak, Ambassador of Circumpolar Affairs, fired after his position was eliminated. As recently as August 2007, northern Canadian leaders were urging Prime Minister Stephen Harper to revive the role.
* September 2006 – Karen Kraft Sloan, Ambassador for the Environment, fired after her position was eliminated. Although the Conservatives tried to backtrack, claiming they made a mistake when they announced that they cut the position, the position remains unfilled.
* December 19, 2006 – Canadian Wheat Board CEO Adrian Measner was fired for refusing to support the government’s plans to end single desk marketing for barley. Furthermore, in the referendum calling for a single desk system, the Harper government refused to allow the CWB to choose sides.
* March 2007 – Ethics Commissioner Bernard Shapiro "resigned" after several run-ins with Prime Minister Harper over investigations of the appointment of Trade Minister David Emerson and, when the Conservatives were in opposition, an affair involving MP Gurmant Grewal.
* March 2007– Jean-Guy Fleury, Chairman of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), resigned because of the government's attempt to politicize the IRB. Soon after, his entire Advisory Panel followed him, making it explicit in a public statement that they were quitting because of the government's actions.
* December 2007 – Yves Cote, Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces, “resigned” only two years into a five-year appointment after months of not seeing eye-to-eye with the government. The Conservatives had also staunchly opposed his appointment when they were in opposition despite the fact that Mr. Cote was a career public servant with no connection to any party and had served the best interests of the men and women of the Canadian Forces for years.
* January 2008 – Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission President Linda Keen was fired for refusing to allow a nuclear reactor to operate under unsafe conditions.
* March 2008 – National Science Advisor Dr. Arthur Carty was marginalized, ignored, and ultimately pushed out of office by completely eliminating the position.
* May 2008 – Auditor General Sheila Fraser was told that all of her communications products must first be vetted by the Prime Minister’s Office.