This week, W-FIVE examines goings-on at the Canadian High Commission in Hong Kong a decade ago. Evidence suggests many people, including high-level criminals, were able to get Canadian immigrant visas if the price was right. W-FIVE also goes inside with the Toronto Police sex crimes squad. DNA helped police find a link between two sexual assaults that occurred years apart. But science may not be enough to catch the attacker.
Saturday, March 27 at 7 p.m.
Personnel at CTV W-FIVE may read this blog -- in particular the March 1 post, among others, touching on the topic of immigration and scandal. This morning CTV announced that W-5 will present this program. Whether this is only on the Hong Kong visa scandal or touches on several stories, finally, one media outlet is producing. W-FIVE is always worth watching. NJC
Judge Dawson: "government itself is not to decide what is exempt from disclosure,"
This is excellent news. Now, Paul Martin will be tested, according to Sallott, for he and his government will have to decide whether to appeal. Watch for this. NJC
*** The act should be interpreted broadly "to provide a meaningful right of access," Judge Dawson says. Most important, the "government itself is not to decide what is exempt from disclosure," ***
*** But Judge Dawson's ruling says the Access to Information Act indeed makes bureaucrats accountable to the public in terms of the documents they write, and that the Information Commissioner has a right to investigate complaints when access to documents is denied. ***
Ottawa — Jean Chrétien's office agendas must be turned over to Information Commissioner John Reid, the Federal Court says in a decision that beats back an attempt by the former prime minister to cloak his activities in secrecy.
[. . . . ] Deciding whether or not to appeal is likely to be an early test of Prime Minister Paul Martin's promise to run a more open and accountable government.
In her ruling, Madam Justice Eleanor Dawson says that the federal Access to Information Act is designed to ensure that "citizens are properly informed so as to be able to participate meaningfully in the democratic process ..... by ensuring that politicians and bureaucrats remain accountable to citizens."
[. . . . ] The act should be interpreted broadly "to provide a meaningful right of access," Judge Dawson says. Most important, the "government itself is not to decide what is exempt from disclosure," she adds.
The ruling does not mean Mr. Chrétien's agendas will automatically be made public. But Mr. Reid and his officials now have a right to examine the documents to see what should be released and what might remain private for reasons of national security or other limited exemptions under the act.
The Chrétien government tried to shut down the Information Commissioner's investigation by challenging his subpoenas to senior officials.
At one point in the lengthy legal battle Mel Cappe, then the clerk of the Privy Council, the top federal bureaucrat, testified that "public servants are not accountable to the public. Public servants are accountable to their ministers."
But Judge Dawson's ruling says the Access to Information Act indeed makes bureaucrats accountable to the public in terms of the documents they write, and that the Information Commissioner has a right to investigate complaints when access to documents is denied.
Unfortunately, Stephen Harper's speech has not been widely publicized; yet, it is excellent. Read it and see for yourself. Here is an excerpt, to tempt you.
The 1995 budget put forward four priorities.
The very first priority was to:
Reform government programs and procedures to eliminate waste and abuse and ensure value for the taxpayer’s dollar.
This promise was repeated in his 1996 budget speech:
If there is one area where we must never let up, it is the effort to root out waste and inefficiency.
And in his 1998 budget speech:
The battle to root out waste and inefficiency can never end.
Now, allow me to rephrase all of that:
The year in which the Liberals created the Sponsorship Program was also the year in which the current Prime Minister first vowed to root out waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars. [emphasis mine]
Every protestation of innocence concerning the Sponsorship Scandal is lovingly repeated by our Liberal Publicity Organ -- aka the CBC -- as are the words of Liberal MPs who are spinning the idea that the investigation has gone far enough -- that there were only a few bad guys involved and they will be taken care of -- later -- so let's get back to business as usual. The CBC is helping the Liberals to spin the idea that Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition is simply trying to use this for the upcoming election. I beg to differ; Canadians want the Public Accounts Committee and other necessary investigations to go forward and find the rot in every nook and cranny of the government and the crown corporations. The Liberal government has lost the confidence of a large segment of the populous -- and for good reasons, it appears. Carry on!
I just checked and I love Andrew Coyne's new site. He has so much information that I feel I might as well quit. He's better and better all the time -- his work always worth perusal.
