The sorry state of access to information

By Dean Jobb

March 27 2009 issue

Amid the flood of inspiring words in Barack Obama’s inaugural address as president of the U.S. was a line about openness and accountability that should be a wake-up call to government leaders and bureaucrats in this country.

“Those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account to spend wisely,” Obama declared, “and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”

Obama put those words into action on his first day in office, ordering federal agencies to treat government information as “a national asset” and to administer freedom of information legislation in a way that ensures the timely release of as much information as possible. “In the face of doubt,” notes one directive, “openness prevails.”

But in the face of this abrupt shift toward greater openness south of the border, too often Ottawa and provincial governments take an outmoded, haughty “you-can’t-handle-the-truth” approach to access to information. And that’s when government officials finally get around to replying to those seeking information.

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