> I had imagined a transition in which I would have some time to study the
> office,

The standard line from the Provincial government bureaucrats I used to deal
with in here BC whenever a change was made at the political level, "It will
take six months or so until the new man is up to speed on all the issues.
Until then nothing will change."  About six months later there would be a
political Cabinet shuffle with a new Minister responsible for the Branch,
and the bureaucrats would say "It will take about six months until the new
man is up to speed on all the issues.   Until then nothing will change."
Any studies or new programs being advanced would be quietly put aside
whenever a shuffle happened, awaiting the time until the new guy was again
up to speed.   Year after year after year, nothing ever changed at the
bureaucratic level, only the politicians in charge.   In charge of what, I
used to wonder, since they were always asking the bureaucrats for advice
(until they were "up to speed").

cp in bc

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