In April, when Jennifer Lynch, Chief Commissioner of the CHRC informed Maclean’s in a letter that her people had used no “improper investigative techniques”, it gave me to speculate. Maybe she simply doesn’t know what techniques they used. She might know and not understand them. She might understand what she has been told about them, but what she has been told is incomplete, misleading or false. She may know exactly what they did, understand and think it was fine. Anyway, that’s what she wrote Maclean’s. Any of those lines of speculation leaves her looking foolish or incompetent, but they all mean her staff work is deficient, at best. This is confirmed by the farcical release of the transcript. A few weeks ago, I predicted that the Commission would begin to leak. As outside pressure mounts, internal fault lines open and noxious vapours seep out. Imagine my surprise and delight when the first ‘leak’ I am aware of comes so obviously from Sir Humphrey Appleby. I find it hard to believe that any communications person in town would have done this. A senior manager did this. An executive. It is just so appallingly bush league, as demonstrated by the fact that the reporter immediately handed it to Ezra. As of 3:40 Saturday afternoon, no big scoop on Google News about the greatness of the CHRC. Of course, if and when it does arrive, the legitimate questions to ask are, ‘why your news organization?’ and, ‘who gave it to you?’