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Does anyone working for the federal government know how the Privacy Act works?

Canada’s privacy commissioner says federal officials broke the rules earlier this year when they passed a journalist’s name on to Irving Shipbuilding. The Postmedia reporter had asked the Department of National Defence and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to comment on possible welding problems on the first of six planned Irving-built Arctic patrol ships.

Both departments later said they were investigating whether they had contravened privacy laws and told staff to make such requests anonymous in future.

But it’s not the first time this has happened.

Earlier this year, The Globe and Mail said one of its reporters’ personal information had also been passed on to Irving after they asked the Innovation minister’s office about an Irving investment in an Alberta french fry plant as a way to fulfil re-investment obligations in the shipbuilding contract.

And back in 2016, PSPC passed on the personal information of a Postmedia journalist to a public relations agency doing work for Irving. This after the reporter asked government officials questions about the $60-billion Canadian Surface Combatant project.

When journalists contact government officials about the spending of taxpayers’ money — in these cases, totalling billions of dollars — federal bureaucrats should answer their questions, not race to tip off suppliers. Beyond contravening privacy laws, the practice gives the impression that the relationship between Ottawa and big companies like the Irvings has gotten far too cosy.

Meanwhile, Irving’s immediate response in the two cases this year — upon learning of the inquiries — was to threaten legal action if false information about the company was published.

The Globe and Mail and Postmedia are well aware, as are all established media companies, of the potential legal consequences of publishing falsehoods that could damage an individual’s, or a company’s, reputation.

The shipbuilding contracts involve billions in taxpayers’ money. Journalists have a Charter-protected right to ask probing questions about those and other matters of overarching public interest.

In the case of the potential welding problems, Irving Shipbuilding president Kevin McCoy testified before a parliamentary committee that federal bureaucrats told the company the Postmedia journalist was making “very wild accusations.” But DND’s own emails to Irving showed they only said the reporter, David Pugliese, had heard there were welding problems and so was seeking comment. Nothing very “wild” about that.

Scrutiny of such contracts is not about to go away. Frankly, Irving should grow a thicker skin.

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