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  • Archives for July 2011 (21)

Connector road issue: Fighting for information – Editorials – TheChronicleHerald.ca

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Published on: July 20, 2011

 

 

WHEN citizens attempt to access government-held information on an issue of concern to them here in Nova Scotia, the deck has long been stacked — and not in their favour.

A case in point is the saga of a St. Margarets Bay group trying, for almost 18 months, to learn more about the possible siting of a proposed connector road that could mean the demolition of some local people’s homes.

This week, the Protect the Bay citizens’ group filed suit in the Nova Scotia Supreme Court to try to force the provincial Department of Transportation to release the uncensored versions of thousands of documents related to the pending connector road siting decision.

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Connector road issue: Fighting for information – Editorials – TheChronicleHerald.ca.

Government introduces controversial FOI policy – Public Eye Online

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Published on: July 20, 2011

Government introduces controversial FOI policy – Public Eye Online.

In May, the province’s minister of labour, citizens’ service and open government Stephanie Cadieux told the Times Colonist‘s Rob Shaw she had abandoned a controversial plan to simultaneously release freedom of information request responses to the public and the applicant. Two months later, the government has announced a similar proactive release policy. But it’s providing a 72-hour window between the time those responses are given to the applicant and when they’re released to the public. Public Eye earlier discussed how a proactive release policy will significantly undermine investigative journalism.

N.S. breaking its own freedom of information law, citizens group says – Front – TheChronicleHerald.ca

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Published on: July 18, 2011

N.S. breaking its own freedom of information law, citizens group says – Front – TheChronicleHerald.ca.

No need to FoI, just ask, says Richmond Council – Richmond & Twickenham Times

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Published on: July 14, 2011
 
 

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An influx of Freedom of Information (FoI) requests has prompted a council request for people to call their councillors first. Councillor Geoffrey Samuel, deputy leader of Richmond Council , asked people to try other avenues when they had questions for the …

 
 

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Quote of the Day – Clay Shirky

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Published on: July 13, 2011

“News has to be subsidized because society’s truth-tellers can’t be supported by what their work would fetch on the open market… Markets supply less reporting than democracies demand.” 
– Clay Shirky, Why We Need the New News Environment to be Chaotic, July 9, 2011 via The Technium, Found Quotes, 8

Gov, defend open public records – Chicago Sun-Times

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Published on: July 12, 2011

http://www.suntimes.com/opinions/letters/6463192-474/gov-defend-open-public-records.html
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Donald Lenihan: Canadians Share Accountability Concerns With the Developing World

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Published on: July 11, 2011

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/donald-lenihan/government-transparency_b_894172.html

Amending Access to Information Legislation: Legal and Political Issues

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Published on: July 11, 2011
 
 

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via Centre for Law and Democracy by Michael on 7/6/11


Almost 90 countries around the world have enacted access to information (ATI) legislation, and in many of these countries, reforms and amendments are either being considered or have been passed. However, even minor adjustments to the legal framework around ATI laws can have substantial impact on how the law is implemented and used.

While access to information laws are increasingly a key subject of studies on governance reforms, within the literature there has been less emphasis placed on the impact of amendments to ATI laws and little analysis done to understand the processes that propelled such reforms forward.

Targeted for practitioners working in governance and transparency issues and as part of its Governance Working Paper series, the World Bank Institute has recently published Amending Access to Information Legislation: Legal and Political Issues by Toby Mendel, Executive Director of Centre for Law and Democracy.

The working paper looks at the main substantive issues ATI reform attempts have targeted and what legal forms they may take. It also examines the role different actors—civil society, the media, oversight bodies, parliaments, and political leaders—can play in helping support the adoption of reforms that promote openness and defeat those that erect barriers.

 
 

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Information Commissioner’s Annual Report 2010/11

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Published on: July 9, 2011

allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Nation’s New FOI Law Brings Celebration, Challenges

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Published on: July 9, 2011

http://allafrica.com/stories/201107081308.html

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Secrecy is vital for intelligence work, but not at any cost. And especially not when that secrecy looks like it has been disingenuously wielded to avoid public repercussions for incompetent, wrong - from the Chronicle Herald Editorial Called 'The limits of secrecy' (Aug 2007)
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