Government email leak investigated

P.E.I. privacy commissioner Maria MacDonald is looking into how two private emails that were sent to former Innovation Minister Allan Campbell ended up in the hands of the Liberal party campaign.

The emails came out in the middle of the recent election campaign. On Sep. 15, three former civil servants made allegations of bribery and fraud in an immigrant investment program in the Globe and Mail. That same day, the Liberal Party sent out copies of emails said to be from one of the women, Lana Tenetko. In the emails, Tenetko threatened to go to the media if she didn't get her job back.

When asked how the Liberal party obtained the private emails, spokesperson Spencer Campbell said they were leaked.  A glance at the bottom of the emails released by the Liberals appears to show they were possibly printed on a computer in the minister's office. The emails were printed on the same day the bribery allegations story ran in the Globe and Mail.

MacDonald said she is looking into how the leak happened, and will eventually release the results of her investigation. She would not otherwise comment on this case specifically. She said, generally, a department has 30 days to send her a report on what happened.

She said if there is a privacy breach police would do an investigation.

"They'd take it to the Crown prosecutor. That would go to court, and there is a potential fine of up to $10,000," MacDonald said.

Convictions in privacy cases are rare in Canada. MacDonald is aware of only two cases where someone has been convicted following an investigation by a privacy commissioner.

Given the current backlog of cases in her office, she said it will likely take months to rule on this case.

A spokesperson for the Innovation Department would not comment on the case, but said the department is cooperating with the commissioner in her investigation.