The Man Behind the Bow Tie by Arthur Porter

Author:Arthur Porter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Figure 1 Publishing
Published: 2014-08-07T16:00:00+00:00

8. Nothing is Private Anymore

In the summer of 2008, David Penner, the director of appointments in Ottawa, asked if I would come down to Ottawa for a meeting.

The process of naming high-level appointments in Canada was similar to the American one. Up to three hundred positions needed to be filled. The government kept a list of potential candidates, people who could be useful in a number of ways. I was a known Conservative by then, having built a reputation for myself in Montreal. I had close relationships with leaders in the party. I routinely attended party fundraisers and events. Meanwhile, I was a doctor, born in Africa and with a strong background in internationalism. It ticked all of the right boxes. Two years earlier, in fact, I had been appointed in just this way to the governing council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in Canada, a body that oversaw government funding for health-related research. I had not been surprised to get that call. After all, I was a researcher by reputation and already running one of the largest hospital networks in the country.

But this latest call, I can tell you, was something of a surprise. Penner did not say what the meeting was about, other than simply to talk about my life and career trajectory, but I had my suspicions. Rumours had reached me that a spot was opening on the board for the Security Intelligence Review Committee. In the hierarchy of intriguing appointments, it trumped the research gig.

So, in the lead-up to my meeting in Ottawa, I did my homework. And the more I learned, the more I saw that I was rather well suited for the role. I knew what those new job title initials would stand for, and I came to the table armed with ideas.

When Penner and I met, I made it clear that I was interested. And it was obvious the government was interested in me, because weeks later, after the board member retired, I got a call inviting me to the screening process. I agreed without hesitation. After all, I had already experienced a full-field investigation in the U.S. during my campaign for surgeon general. And as it turned out, the Canadian screening process was far less rigorous. I did not have extended conversations with members of CSIS. Nobody came to my home. Whether extensive investigations occurred in the background, I do not know. I certainly never heard of it, so I suppose that, if they did look into me, they were satisfied. My appointment was put forth by both the prime minister and the governor general, although as a courtesy, Harper sent a letter to the other parties. The Liberals were fine with it. The New Democratic Party approved. The only party that gave me thumbs-down was the Bloc Québécois. That came as little surprise. I was too right-wing, the party said, too Republican and close to George W Bush. The party also alluded to perceived mismanagement back at the Detroit Medical Center.

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