For the third consecutive year, the Canadian Newspaper Association has conducted a survey of the ability of individuals to access information at various governmental offices - at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. Once again this year, they found too many cases of government employees not being forthcoming with the information, and in some cases being obstructionist.
In a democracy that espouses the principles of transparency and openness in government, the publics right to know should be paramount. It is the foundation of our democratic society. Frankly, a citizen should not have to file a freedom of information request to obtain basic information. It is the duty of all civil servants to quickly and expeditiously provide this information to the public. Even if the information in question makes the government "look bad", this information must not be with-held. It is only with complete information that citizens can hold government accountable. It is only with complete information - the good, the bad and the ugly- that organizations can learn, improve and innovate.
Based on the results of this annual survey, we obviously have a long way to go in Canada. At the same time, public servants must guard against not providing their recommendations on paper. Too many times, oral briefings/discussions are being substituted for the traditional briefing note. The historical record of the wherefores and the whys of government decisions are important to understand the context of a decision. We should not be afraid of documenting these. So what do you think about this issue?
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