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Klein volunteers do gov't business; Election

strategy committee includes public servant andadvertising executives; ALBERTA ELECTION'97The Edmonton JournalSat Feb 22 1997Page: A4Section: AlbertaByline: JACK DANYLCHUK; CHARLES RUSNELL, Journal Staff WritersDateline: EdmontonSource: THE EDMONTON JOURNAL

Volunteers working to re-elect Premier Ralph Klein include a high-rankingpublic servant and executives of communications companies that dogovernment business.

Despite the close connection between their businesses, careers andvolunteer efforts, there is no conflict of interest and there should be nopublic perception of conflicting interest, say members of the volunteercommunications strategy committee.

``I am not doing any work other than on my own time,'' said GerryBourdeau, director of the Public Affairs Bureau, the agency responsiblefor co-ordinating all Alberta government communications.

A committee member since before the 1993 election, Bourdeau helpeddevelop and execute the current Conservative media campaign that hasplaced the premier's face in newspaper ads and on billboards across theprovince.

Kevin Taft, author of the best-selling book Shredding the Public Interest,

said in an interview that Bourdeau's presence on the party committeesupports his contention that the Public Affairs Bureau has become theConservative party's ``marketing department'' under Klein.

In his book, Taft writes: ``Paid for by the taxpayer, its function is to sell theProgressive Conservative government to the voter. Its staff defend, deflectand deny criticism. They work to gain sympathetic coverage from themedia. They counsel cabinet ministers and department staff on what is

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politically acceptable to say.''

Bureau employees are civil servants and are supposed to be non-partisan,providing the public with objective information about the government andits programs. But several bureau spokespersons sometimes make public

political statements for ministers.

Bourdeau, who reports directly to Klein, rejected Taft's view that thebureau has become enmeshed in party politics. He declined to elaboratebecause he has not read Taft's book. ``What I'm doing on my personaltime is my personal business,'' said Bourdeau, who has not taken a leaveof absence from his post.``The code of ethics of the government is veryclear on that. You can do it.

``Public servants have the ability to work on party campaigns as they seefit on their own time. The rules are very plain.

``If they expect to do any work on government time they have to take aleave.''

The Conservative communications committee regularly meets to plan andcarry out the party's media strategy during the election.

Chaired by Brian Stecyk, president of Rose Country Communications, thecommittee includes Jim Dau, the premier's communications director, BarryStyles, president of Highwood Communications, Derek Coke-Kerr, head ofan Edmonton advertising agency, and Jim Ford, a retired ad agencyexecutive.

``I do so little work for the government I don't think there's any (conflict ofinterest),'' said Stecyk, whose company was paid $15,775 for governmentwork in 1995-96.

Stecyk was in the news earlier this week when it was revealed he hadauthored a pamphlet on health care that is being distributed by severalConservative candidates.

They claimed it was independently produced. Liberals characterized thepamphlet, which contain a number of assertions that mirror official Torypolicy, as ``simplistic and slanted.''

Stecyk said he did not produce the pamphlet as campaign material. Hedecided that a ``plain-talk'' explanation of health-care changes wasneeded. He had hoped to sell the pamphlet to health authorities but someTory candidates bought copies.

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Highwood won a competition last year to buy media space for allgovernment departments. The Calgary-based company did $110,147 inbusiness with the province in 1995-96, according to public accounts.

Styles and Coke-Kerr rejected any suggestion that the public may see a

conflict of interest in their dual roles as Conservative volunteers andowners of companies that do a similar kind of business with governmentdepartments.

``I don't see it as a conflict of interest,'' said Coke-Kerr, whose companydid no business with the government in 1995-96.

``I'd be hard pressed to name an advertising agency that doesn't dobusiness with the government.''

Styles said he was a member of the Tory communications committee

before the last election and, ``long before we won any business from thegovernment.''

He said his volunteer work on the committee should not be seen as a wayof priming the pump for his own business.

``Those people who know how strict the competition was would know thatwas not the case,'' Styles said in reference to winning the contract to buymedia space for government departments.

``Any business we have received, we got in straight competition with other

agencies.''

The public affairs bureau handles media and advertising business for allgovernment departments, but Styles said he does not have regularbusiness contact with Bourdeau.