The proposed granting of…

The proposed granting of powers of investigation to MCM under the Heritage Act is an invitation to amplify the record of flagrant abuse of power with which this ministry has been involved throughout its history. Even using the limited scope it already has to inspect has shown that they cannot execute even this modest authority without rampant favouritism and subjectivity.

Furthermore, this expansion of powers will do absolutely nothing to relive the inability of this ministry to meet its many obligations it has a long history of neglecting. This Ministry needs to be cleaned up and get its house in order before it is given yet more authority to selectively ignore or abuse.

There are many peer reviews, agency reviews, court filings, etc. documenting the unrelenting failure of this ministry to accomplish the simplest of tasks under its mandate. It is remarkable that the responsibility for archaeology has not been removed form this Ministry decades ago following their own Internal Audit.

There is a problem at the core of the culture within the Archaeology Unit that 50 years of trying has failed to correct.