B.C. Government Allegedly Destroys Highway of Tears Emails

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commission of B.C. is investigating the destruction of emails by employees in the Office of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

“On May 27^th, my Office received a letter outlining serious allegations of destruction of records by individuals within the Office of the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure,” said B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham. “The letter outlines an account where records responsive to an access-to-information request were willfully and deliberately deleted.”

Tim Duncan, an executive assistant on Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone’s staff, has been suspended as a result of the investigation.

“Based on the advice from the Public Service Agency, it was determined the appropriate thing to do is suspend the employee with pay until the work of the OIPC is complete,” the Ministry of Transportation said.

Emails were allegedly deleted from Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone's (left) office. (Photo Credit: B.C. Government/Flickr)

Duncan claims he did not delete the emails relating to missing women on the Highway of Tears.

In a letter to Denham, Duncan said a ministerial assistant saw the emails, instructed them to be deleted, and when Duncan did not, the assistant took the keyboard and deleted them himself. The letter said the incident occurred in November 2014.

“It is my belief that the abuse of the Freedom of Information process is widespread and most likely systemic within the Clark government,” Duncan wrote in the letter. “"It's like in the West Wing. You do whatever it takes to win."

Emails were deleted in November 2014 relating to missing women on the Highway of Tears. (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

Provincial New Democrat leader John Horgan said the letter reflects how the Liberals view their responsibility to the people of B.C.

“These are shocking accusations. If these claims are true, they speak volumes about this government’s obsessive need for secrecy and its contempt for the public,” Horgan said. It’s a symptom of a sick government. ‘You do whatever it takes to win.’ Even when it involves missing and murdered women."