Conroy and Fraser Blow the Whistle on Campbell Government Secrecy
VICTORIA — New Democrat Critic for Citizens’ Services Katrine Conroy and Critic for Aboriginal Relations Scott Fraser say the Campbell government’s decision to place a shroud of secrecy around a new cabinet committee on relations with First Nations is part of a disturbing trend.
Conroy“We recently discovered that the Campbell government created a committee on ‘New Relationship Coordination’ which will be exempted from the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act,” said Conroy, MLA for West Kootenay Boundary.
Little is known about the new committee, which was kept under wraps until the B.C. Liberal government passed an Order in Council exempting it from FOI.
“This secrecy is part of a wider trend. As we have seen with the B.C. Rail corruption trial, which is slated to begin again in the fall, Premier Gordon Campbell would rather stonewall than answer difficult questions,” said Conroy. “Over the last six years, the Gordon Campbell has undertaken a steady attack on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and has consistently under funded the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.”
The B.C. Liberal government cut the budget for the OIPC by 35 percent between 2002 and 2005, and since 2001 has made more than a dozen changes to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act that have made FOI requests more time consuming and more difficult.
Fraser“Access to information is essential to open, democratic government, and this is particularly true for meaningful reconciliation with First Nations to occur. Secrecy leads to distrust, and we cannot achieve reconciliation in an environment of distrust,” said Fraser. “We have been calling on the Campbell government to empower the Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs, which would include members from both sides of the House and would be able to talk to all British Columbians in an open and transparent way.”
The Campbell government has also made unprecedented reductions in the scope of documents which can be accessed under the law by extending cabinet secrecy to a number of Liberal committees, including the Climate Change Action Committee, as well as excluding organisations such as the Vancouver Olympic Organising Committee and B.C. Ferries from the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
