Balusi,” he said.
“Put him on speaker,” said Mowat, and he walked over to the window to look out at the snow as he listened to the call.
“Hello, Ismael,” said Bouchard.
“We have a little problem, Claude,” said Balusi.
“What is it?”
“Knowles just called me into his office. He was watching the scrum tape from today over and over, and he’s suspicious.”
Mowat turned away from the window and fixed his eyes on Bouchard.
“What do you mean?” said Bouchard.
“He seems to think that someone in your shop leaked the news of Stevens’s resignation. Mowat’s lines were so good compared to everyone else’s. I guess the boss is pissed off about the leak and he’s pushing Knowles to find out who blabbed.”
“Shit,” said Bouchard. “Will Simms keep her mouth shut?”
“She will if she ever wants to get another story from me,” said Balusi.
Bouchard and Mowat exchanged worried looks. If the leak were pinned on this office, it would be very bad for news. Some governments leak like sieves, but Stevens had made it crystal clear time and time again that his government would not allow leaks. From time to time, Knowles and other top PMO staff spread false information to ministerial staffers and then watched for it to show up in a column or a blog. Mowat and Bouchard both knew veteran Hill staffers who suddenly found themselves sidelined after being caught in such a trap.
“What do you think we should do?” Bouchard asked.
“Confess,” said Balusi. “Call Knowles, tell him you just learned that someone on the staff leaked the news, and assure him you’re taking action.”
Mowat nodded at Bouchard. He mouthed one word: Sophie.
“Okay,” Bouchard said. “We can do that. Thanks.”
After Bouchard hung up, Mowat tapped in a number on the desk phone and waited for an answer.
“Rupert,” he said when the call went through. “It’s Greg Mowat here. I hope I didn’t get you out of bed.”
“No,” said Knowles. “Of course not. I just got home. About to look in on the kids. What can I do for you, Minister?”
“Well, I wanted to have a quiet word,” he said. “I just found that my office may have had something to do with the leak today to Simms about Stevens’s resignation.” He was speaking quickly, rushing to get out everything he had to say.
“I see,” said Knowles.
“Yes,” said Mowat. “Claude just came to me and explained what he thinks happened, and I thought I should let you know right away. If I know the prime minister, he’s got you trying to figure out how it happened, and I don’t want you guys chasing your tails when we already know. I know how the prime minister feels about leaks, and this one made me feel queasy. It spoiled a historic moment for him.”
“How did it happen?”
“Well, I’m responsible. It was a staff member, but the person is going to get a good talking to about it, and I can guarantee that it won’t happen again. I suspect there may be a more innocent explanation than it seems at first. Some of these darned reporters, you got to watch yourself or you’re telling them something by mistake. It’s a young staffer, and we’d like a chance to figure out exactly what happened internally, if you’ll give us the chance.”
Knowles was quiet for a moment.
“A young staffer?” he said. “Are you talking about Sophie Fortin?”
“Well,” said Mowat. “We want to deal with it here, if you don’t mind. Sophie’s a great kid and she’s under a lot of stress today. Her boyfriend, Ed Sawatski, young fellow works for Donahoe, he fell into the canal last night and he’s in hospital in a coma, so you can imagine how upset the poor girl must be.”
“I’m aware of that, Minister,” said Knowles.
“Of course you are,” said Mowat. “Look, the last thing she needs is to be worrying about her job at a time like this. If it was her that leaked it, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to find that she’d been a tiny bit careless in the
“Put him on speaker,” said Mowat, and he walked over to the window to look out at the snow as he listened to the call.
“Hello, Ismael,” said Bouchard.
“We have a little problem, Claude,” said Balusi.
“What is it?”
“Knowles just called me into his office. He was watching the scrum tape from today over and over, and he’s suspicious.”
Mowat turned away from the window and fixed his eyes on Bouchard.
“What do you mean?” said Bouchard.
“He seems to think that someone in your shop leaked the news of Stevens’s resignation. Mowat’s lines were so good compared to everyone else’s. I guess the boss is pissed off about the leak and he’s pushing Knowles to find out who blabbed.”
“Shit,” said Bouchard. “Will Simms keep her mouth shut?”
“She will if she ever wants to get another story from me,” said Balusi.
Bouchard and Mowat exchanged worried looks. If the leak were pinned on this office, it would be very bad for news. Some governments leak like sieves, but Stevens had made it crystal clear time and time again that his government would not allow leaks. From time to time, Knowles and other top PMO staff spread false information to ministerial staffers and then watched for it to show up in a column or a blog. Mowat and Bouchard both knew veteran Hill staffers who suddenly found themselves sidelined after being caught in such a trap.
“What do you think we should do?” Bouchard asked.
“Confess,” said Balusi. “Call Knowles, tell him you just learned that someone on the staff leaked the news, and assure him you’re taking action.”
Mowat nodded at Bouchard. He mouthed one word: Sophie.
“Okay,” Bouchard said. “We can do that. Thanks.”
After Bouchard hung up, Mowat tapped in a number on the desk phone and waited for an answer.
“Rupert,” he said when the call went through. “It’s Greg Mowat here. I hope I didn’t get you out of bed.”
“No,” said Knowles. “Of course not. I just got home. About to look in on the kids. What can I do for you, Minister?”
“Well, I wanted to have a quiet word,” he said. “I just found that my office may have had something to do with the leak today to Simms about Stevens’s resignation.” He was speaking quickly, rushing to get out everything he had to say.
“I see,” said Knowles.
“Yes,” said Mowat. “Claude just came to me and explained what he thinks happened, and I thought I should let you know right away. If I know the prime minister, he’s got you trying to figure out how it happened, and I don’t want you guys chasing your tails when we already know. I know how the prime minister feels about leaks, and this one made me feel queasy. It spoiled a historic moment for him.”
“How did it happen?”
“Well, I’m responsible. It was a staff member, but the person is going to get a good talking to about it, and I can guarantee that it won’t happen again. I suspect there may be a more innocent explanation than it seems at first. Some of these darned reporters, you got to watch yourself or you’re telling them something by mistake. It’s a young staffer, and we’d like a chance to figure out exactly what happened internally, if you’ll give us the chance.”
Knowles was quiet for a moment.
“A young staffer?” he said. “Are you talking about Sophie Fortin?”
“Well,” said Mowat. “We want to deal with it here, if you don’t mind. Sophie’s a great kid and she’s under a lot of stress today. Her boyfriend, Ed Sawatski, young fellow works for Donahoe, he fell into the canal last night and he’s in hospital in a coma, so you can imagine how upset the poor girl must be.”
“I’m aware of that, Minister,” said Knowles.
“Of course you are,” said Mowat. “Look, the last thing she needs is to be worrying about her job at a time like this. If it was her that leaked it, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to find that she’d been a tiny bit careless in the
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