I Can Relate to This...

It's pretty simple, really - as a leader, you cannot give direction to break the law.  If concerns get raised and you're sure you aren't breaking the law, this isn't a case of your staff "not being team players" - this is them fulfilling their moral obligation to you as decision maker.  Questions raised provide your first chance (inevitably of many) to explain how and why your direction doesn't break the law to someone who believes otherwise.  

It's not Montgomery that's the problem - as we can all clearly see now at multiple levels of government, its's the culture that's become foul.  It this case, they saw Montgomery as a partisan obstruction; he saw himself as responsible to our Parliamentary system and ultimately, the people.

We need more staff like him - not less.  More than that we need leaders who know just what leadership means.

"I am in a meeting with Montgmery, LeBreton (Melo), CSO (Carolyn Stewart Olsen).  This is epic.  Montgomery is the Problem," an exasperated Patrick Rogers, the manager of parliamentary affairs in the prime minister's office, says in one email that sums it all up, to chief of staff Nigel Wright and director of issues management Chris Woodcock.

What's clear from the emails - and somewhat frightening - is that PMO officials had no compunction changing or tampering with reports to suit their political goals, and found it "unbelievable" that Montgomery would stand in the way.  But it is reassuring that through it all, one man saw right from wrong.