Fed Issue #36 - Liberals increasing "persons permanently bound to secrecy"
Liberals grow the ranks of permanently gagged public servants
The Privy Council Office recently bound another 94 current and former staffers to a lifetime of secrecy
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/politics...wark-1.4139309
The Liberal government has been expanding the number of public servants subject to lifetime gag orders, placing them under threat of hefty prison sentences should they spill any secrets before they die.
Since December, the Privy Council Office has designated at least 94 individuals, some of whom no longer work for the federal government, as "persons permanently bound to secrecy" or PPBS — a binding legal order intended to enforce their silence.
The group all had access to confidential, security-related information while working at the Privy Council Office or the Prime Minister's Office, and some were served with official notice of the gag order after they had left their jobs.
Each of them was individually identified by their boss or former boss as knowing secrets about national security, and therefore requiring a gag order that is retroactive — preventing them from talking about their work before the gag order was issued.
Each was also presented with a three-page notice to sign and return, many using a pre-paid, pre-addressed envelope that was enclosed.
CBC News learned about the latest round of lifetime gag orders through a request under the Access to Information Act, and some details have been confirmed by a government spokesperson.
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In total, these most recent reports add at least another 361 public servants who risk up to 14 years in prison if they ever discuss the secrets of their time in government, whether in memoirs or at family reunions.
