Nick Osmond-Jones is a former investigator with the Office of the Ombudsman in British Columbia. Before entering government, he spent a decade working in Alberta’s oil and gas industry, eventually returning to school to pursue a career in public service aligned with his values.

What happens when someone inside a public institution begins to feel that the norms they once trusted are changing? And what are the consequences of pushing back in an environment where dissent is not easily tolerated?

Nick describes a gradual shift during his time in government. What began as a shared commitment to neutrality and political impartiality gave way, over time, to a more moralized and ideological culture.

After obtaining materials from one such workshop and sharing them with a journalist, a decision that would eventually be traced back to him, he found himself under investigation and, soon after, leaving his position altogether.

In the second half of the conversation, we widen the lens to questions of neutrality, institutional culture, and the difficulty of sustaining open dialogue in an increasingly polarized environment.

Nick has since rebuilt his life outside of government as an arborist, and continues to share his thoughts publicly.

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Nick's personal essay in Quillette

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Opening Song: Aria 51 by MicroBongo Soundsystem, used with permission.