Quote:
Originally Posted by RedHot25
The title was CBC's - what do you find misleading about it?
The Minister is ultimately the one accountable, but at the same time if there is an issue that the staff have caused/significantly influenced/directed/whatever....they should be accountable to. Another part of this is what level of staff (e.g. just the high ups, or the the lower levels as well, or?)....you have civil service staff at committees (e.g. Director Generals, Deputy Ministers, Assistant Deputy Ministers, etc etc), so why are political staff different than in this regard?
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You answered your own question: the Minister is the one who is ultimately accountable by means of being elected and thus should be the one questioned about what goes on within his or her office. Staffers are absoloutely subordinate to their Ministers, are not public figures and are reasonably bound by oaths of secrecy as to what goes on within cabinet and within internal ministerial office discussions.
There is a difference between staffers and members of the public service beurocracy "Director Generals, Deputy Ministers, Assistant Deputy Ministers etc." because the latter have a role that is independant from the Minister - they serve the people of Canada directly by attempting to follow the directives of the Government of the day.