The B.C. Civil Liberties Association is calling on the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services to modify its recommended cutbacks to Statutory Officers of the Legislature.

BCCLA Executive Director Murray Mollard states: “Good government requires robust, non-partisan institutions that have the power to assist British Columbians to ensure accountability, fairness, the rule of law, privacy, and transparency in government decision-making. Statutory Officers in B.C. have proven to be important institutions in B.C.’s democracy society. They must be funded adequately to do their jobs.”

Two years ago, this Committee recommended the following cutbacks over a period of three years: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of B.C. 35% Office of the Ombudsman: 35% Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner 30% Chief Electoral Office 45% Auditor General 15%

These offices have endured cutbacks for the last two years and are now faced with a final lethal cut, typically larger than the previous two years.

The BCCLA has written Brenda Locke, Chair of the Committee and its members to urge the Committee to back down from a final cut that will critically disable Statutory Officers from fulfilling their legislative mandates. The BCCLA’s request to appear before the Committee has been denied. The following is an excerpt from the BCCLA’s letter:

“There is a temptation for the political party in power to see these “watchdog” agencies as a superfluous – and hence expensive – nags. But from the perspective of the Government of British Columbia, as distinct from the Liberal Party of B.C., the Statutory Officers are properly seen as important guarantors of its integrity. And this is, we believe, the most powerful argument against chasing relatively tiny economies at the expense of the continued, effective operation of these offices. Effective governance requires public confidence in the integrity of government, and Statutory Officers play an important role as guarantors of integrity which can never be supplied by either partisan opposition or the media.”