Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Thursday, March 08, 2012

Integrity czar blasts bureaucrat’s bullying, spending habits

A middle manager with the federal department of Human Resources who, among other things, used taxpayer dollars to pay for personal massages and was reimbursed for travel that never took place is the first person found guilty of wrongdoing by the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner.

In a case report Thursday, Commissioner Mario Dion said the unnamed manager had committed “gross mismanagement” and misused public funds.

The actions of the woman, who had been a regional manager of four offices of the HRSDC for more than nine years, were brought to the attention by staff in the department’s western division. “They expressed fear for their jobs if they came forward to complain to the department or participated in an investigation,” Mr. Dion says in his report.

“The discloser stated that many of the staff were frightened of the manager who they described as an autocrat and a bully who threatened reprisal against employees who questioned the manager. There was fear that in the small communities in which employees resided that retaliation might spread outside the office and affect their family members.”

The integrity watchdog’s investigation determined the manager had misused public funds by approving inappropriate purchases such as personal massages, purchasing equipment such as flat-screen televisions that were not used, paying for lunches for employees, claiming reimbursement for travel that had not occurred, claiming for mileage on her own car when she also had a departmental vehicle, and using government equipment to conduct personal business.

Her actions, Mr. Dion concluded, broke the Financial Administration Act, contravened Treasury Board guidelines and violated a host of other federal policies.

Mr. Dion succeeded Christiane Ouimet, the first public sector integrity commissioner who was appointed in 2007 but who abruptly retired in 2010 ahead of a damning report by the Auditor-General that found she was engaged in the very activities she was hired to prevent: berating and marginalizing her staff while seeking vengeance against those she suspected of reporting her misdeeds.

Mr. Dion first took over from Ms. Ouimet on an interim basis and then was appointed to fill the position permanently in December of 2011. This report marks the first time he has found someone to guilty of wrongdoing.

According the report, in addition to falsifying her travel expenses, the manager purchased gift baskets, massage chairs (which largely went unused) and hospitality items then declared them to be office supplies. She did not get required approvals for her government-funded purchases, did not document them properly, and claimed restaurant expenses under the Department’s Pride and Recognition which was not permitted.

She purchased two high-definition televisions that were never used and that were found in her home. And she encouraged and approved purchases of non work-related items from her own personal business including water bottles (at a cost of $80 each), massagers and magnets for magnetic therapy that she used to balance her employees magnetic fields.

Personal massages for staff were coded as office supplies. A government printer and two pieces of office furniture purchased by the department were found in a fitness franchise that she operated. She used her department computer and BlackBerry to conduct private business. And she kept a government vehicle that was intended for use by all of her employees at her house on weekends which meant staff often had to rent cars.

She appointed a “close family friend” who was living with her to run a satellite office of the HRSDC even though there was qualified candidate already living near that office. And her child was given the opportunity to collect significant overtime and to incur costs including means and private accommodation that were charged to the department.

In addition, the Integrity Commissioner found there was “considerable anecdotal evidence” that she had wrongfully disclosed individuals’ personal information about health and disciplinary proceedings to other employees relating. She failed to keep secure sensitive government documents. She used the passwords and access codes of employees who worked in different offices to make financial entries without their knowledge or consent.

And she created “a work environment rife with fear.” Many staff told investigators that the manager “yelled at them and used offensive language, said the commissioner.

Mr. Dion recommended the department implement tighter financial controls, that it retrieve all of its assets from the manager, that it account for all of the equipment in the all regional offices, and that it review its polices for the use of mobile wireless devices.

Original Article
Source: Globe
Author: gloria galloway  

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