[RCO]

( we had a similar scandal in Ontario where emails were deleted , the alberta ndp went even further and nearly deleted a million emails from there computers )



Alberta privacy commissioner investigating 800,000 deleted government emails



Emma Graney Emma Graney
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Published on: October 31, 2017 | Last Updated: October 31, 2017 2:00 PM MDT
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Jill Clayton, Alberta information and privacy commissioner Postmedia
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Alberta’s privacy commissioner has launched an investigation into 800,000 emails deleted by government and political staffers under the NDP, including in the premier’s office.

According to a letter obtained by Postmedia, privacy commissioner Jill Clayton has directed her assistant commissioner, LeRoy Brower, to look into executive council, Service Alberta, and the departments of education and transportation.

The investigation centres around sparse inboxes and sent folders belonging to top staffers in Premier Rachel Notley’s office, and internal ministry programs encouraging staff to reduce the number of emails in their system.

Public bodies are governed by strict rules demanding the preservation of public records under freedom of information laws.


The official Opposition came across the information when it asked for numbers of managerial and director government email records in 2016.

After it requested similar information a few months later, it found 800,000 emails across government departments had since been deleted.

The numbers also showed Notley’s then-chief of staff Brian Topp had just one email in his sent folder, 78 in his inbox, and an empty deleted mail folder, despite his time on the job.

Deputy chief of staff Anne McGrath had just 18 emails in her inbox, one sent message and, like Topp, an empty deleted items folder.

Also of concern for the Opposition was incentivized email deletion. In one case, transportation bureaucrats stood to win one of three $50 Apple gift cards if they scrapped at least a quarter of their emails.

The United Conservative Party raised the issue with Clayton last month. At the time, then-interim UCP leader Nathan Cooper called the move “very problematic.”

“That information may be critical on shining a light in the future to something that happened under this government,” he said.

Cheryl Oates, Notley’s communications director, said in an email at the time she was confident nothing was deleted that shouldn’t have been.

She said political staff are encouraged to have face-to-face conversations and group meetings rather than communicating through email. All government employees also go through mandatory freedom of information training.


http://edmontonjournal.com/new.....ent-emails