Canadian Press has concluded that, based on copies of 53 handwritten pages obtained under the Access to Information Act, government officials and political aides were deeply concerned about critical media coverage at the height of the Canadian listeriosis crisis beginning Aug. 12, 2008.

CP reports that about 30 scientists, senior bureaucrats and political staff usually took part in the daily conference calls, which typically began at 9 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends.

One note implies officials were as concerned about communications as they were about managing a public health scare that has so far claimed 20 lives.

"What is the process for alerting the public to cover off (the) ‘it took too long’ angle?" it says.

You don’t need 30 people on a conference call to figure out the angle. Have someone – anyone – provide a detailed accounting of who knew what when. Like, these conference calls may have started Aug. 12, 2008, but the first public notification was at 3 a.m. Aug, 17, 2008, with the weasel words,

“There have been no confirmed illnesses associated with the consumption of these products.”

There were lots of sick people by then.

The real question, which no one has answered, is, When does sufficient evidence exist to warn the public? What are the existing protocols? Does epidemiology matter? But note the person cited in the story was more concerned with “the process for alerting the public to cover off (the) ‘it took too long angle?”

Michael McCain also continues his insistence that listeria is everywhere and the company did everything possible. If listeria’s everywhere, why didn’t you warn those vulnerable old people and pregnant women before the outbreak? And where’s the listeria testing data?

Now, the 30 of you and your salaries, discuss and analyze. Watch the tasteless jokes, though. They tend to leak out.