Justin’s Secrecy
There will always be those unable to see beyond the obvious when it comes to Justin Trudeau. His sunny smile, his platitudinous assurances that we can have our pipelines and…
government secrecy
Measuring Democracy
One of the concerns that has motivated me throughout the years I have written this blog is public accountability. Far too often, whether examining politics at the federal, provincial or…
Government Secrecy Returns
Having lived for almost 10 years under a cone of silence and secrecy, Canadians can be forgiven for expecting more openness from the Trudeau government. That expectation appears to be…
Is Secrecy The New Canadian Norm?
The Harper regime is notorious for its virtual embargo on information. Muzzling of scientists, heavily-redacted Freedom of Information documents, regular obstruction of Parliamentary officers have become the norm. In light…
Democracy? What Democracy?
http://gagordernetwork.com/ Last week the Harper government awarded a ship building contract to the Irving family. Like the F-35 contract, it was awarded — by a “bureaucrat” — without a competition.…
Privacy Concerns Or Just Plain Secrecy?
I started working on a post the other day about government and institutions’ penchant for claiming ‘privacy concerns’ as an excuse for withholding the kind of information that true democracies…
Northern Gateway pipeline gets the advanced green light
Natural Resources minister Joe Oliver announced the ‘streamlining’ of the federal environmental assessment process. What was not mentioned in the press release or by the minister was that final approval…