Security breach raises ruckus in B.C. legislature

CBC News

A raucous B.C. legislature Wednesday focused on a government minister who couldn't provide answers about a security breach. (B.C. Electronic Hansard)

A B.C. cabinet minister has confirmed that he and his colleagues weren't told of a major security breach for nearly seven months — news that triggered an uproar in the legislature Wednesday. Investigators were trying to determine how the confidential files of 1,400 social assistance clients ended up in the home of a caseworker. The RCMP discovered the files in April, then told the government in May, said Citizen Services Minister Ben Stewart, who is also responsible for information and privacy.

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Government worker in missing files case stayed on job despite police search of his home By Lindsay Kines and Rob Shaw, Victoria Times Colonist November 25, 2009

A B.C. government employee remained on the job for seven months after police searched his Victoria home and discovered the personal information of 1,400 income-assistance clients.But government ministers yesterday were unable to say what the employee’s responsibilities were or what kind of access he continued to have to sensitive information. The employee was suspended last month when Citizens’ Services Minister Ben Stewart said he first learned of the privacy breach. A short time later, the employee was fired from his job in the Ministry of Children and Family Development.Asked if he had any concerns about what the employee was doing on the job for the past seven months, Stewart said: “Of course I do.”(more)

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Vernon - BC
CONSERVATIVES Media Release Nov. 26

The BC Liberal government has just revealed that it knew about a very serious security breach involving allegedly stolen information from
1,400 British Columbians on income assistance, but did nothing to 
notify those people to protect their personal information.

It was the RCMP who found missing documents inside of a Victoria home
 of a government worker last April, and those documents were handed to 
the BC Liberals in May. Yet it was not until seven months later that the victims were informed.

"I wish I could say I'm surprised," remarked BC Conservative Party
Director and former candidate for Vernon-Monashee, Dean Skoreyko.
 "Unfortunately for the people of British Columbia, this is the modus
 operandi of this government. "

Skoreyko said it's reminiscent of the recent allegations surrounding 
former Liberal assistant deputy health minister Ron Danderfer of corruption and
 bribery. These revelations only came to light when members of the
 media looked at an RCMP investigation into it.

This issue raises two very serious questions:
1) has the person(s) responsible in his department who failed to reveal this information been fired?
2) did the Liberals know about this before the May 
election, and did they sit on the information in order to seek reelection?


The minister now handling the file, Ben Stewart for Westside-Kelowna, says
that he "may" have found out about it only two weeks ago. "That 
doesn't change the fact that this government hasn't been held to 
account on its own actions," said Skoreyko.

"Was this Liberal government trying to escape responsibility for losing sensitive and personal information about the residents of this province," said Skoreyko. 

The BC Conservative Party finds it offensive that the government did 
not notify those affected by the security breach in a timely manner
 and call for the resignation of the minister for his handling of the
case.

For additional information:
Dean Skoreyko
deanskoreyko@gmail.com 250.494.8225