CAJ Issues Challenge To Nova Scotia Political Campaigns
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The Canadian Association of Journalists is calling on all political parties in the upcoming Nova Scotia election to commit publicly to meaningful reforms of the province’s restrictive freedom of information regulations.
“The CAJ declared the Nova Scotia government the most secretive in Canada several years ago. Nothing has fundamentally changed since then,” said CAJ president Paul Schneidereit.
“From their outrageous fee structure that makes merely asking for information a costly endeavour, to their routine refusal to follow their own rules on timely release, this province has made a determined effort to deny citizens their basic democratic rights, which is to know what their government is doing.”
Nova Scotia now charges $25 simply to make an access to information request. Appealing decisions cost an additional $25. Along with these are costs for processing and copying, which can add up to thousands of dollars in some cases. Similar requests and appeals in other provinces cost, in many cases, considerably less.
Specifically, the CAJ challenges the Progressive Conservatives, New Democrats and Liberals to promise, if elected, that they will:
- Reduce the highest fees in the nation for access to information requests and appeals.
- Give the legislature the power to appoint and remove the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy review officer.
- Insist bureaucrats be more transparent about disclosing government’s dealings, by stopping their obstructive tactics of delay, arbitrary denial of release and excessive processing fees.
A Tory-appointed review committee recommended changes to the Nova Scotia regulations almost two years ago. The Conservatives have yet to act on the recommendations, which suggested reducing some of the fees. Since fees were increased, FOI applications have dropped significantly.
“It’s clear these fees have created a barrier for many which has made government less transparent and accountable for Nova Scotians,” said Robert Cribb, CAJ past president. “Anyone seeking public office should declare their position on such a fundamental issue as the public’s right to know.”
The CAJ supports the efforts of the Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia, recently founded by former FOIPOP review officer Darce Fardy, to make access to information an election issue. Nova Scotians go to the polls on June 13.
“All politicians will tell you they espouse the principles of accountability and transparency,” said Fardy. “They couldn’t hope to get elected if they said they didn’t. But, as we all know, actions speak louder than words.”
“The current election campaign provides all voters with an excellent opportunity to gauge candidates’ commitment to accountability and transparency in government and to the Nova Scotia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.”
“Having a supposedly independent review officer appointed by cabinet shows how politicized freedom of information has become in Nova Scotia,” said Schneidereit. “And under the criteria of qualifications recently released by the government for Fardy’s replacement, he himself would not be suitable to fill a job he performed admirably, under very difficult conditions, for many years.”
“It’s time for political parties in this province to state how they’d protect, and enhance, freedom of information in Nova Scotia.”
The Canadian Association of Journalists is a national non-profit professional organization with more than 1,500 members across Canada. The CAJ’s primary roles are public interest advocacy work and providing high quality professional development for journalists.
@ May 29, 2006