Governing from behind a wall in Canada.

In my last post, which looked at Tony Clement's not-so-open "Open Government" initiatives, I mentioned that the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA) had recently received leaked documents detailing a new federal government plan to make government websites a whole lot less informative.

Since being tipped off to the plan, FIPA has attempted to obtain details under the Access to Information Act. Unfortunately, we keep running into roadblocks thrown up by the Treasury Board, the domain of -- you guessed it -- open government minister Tony Clement. First, Clement's department demanded thousands of dollars in fees to process the request. Now they're insisting on hundreds of days of delays to allow for unspecified "consultations."

Frustrating as this process has been, our leaked documents show it's no surprise that the government is dragging things out.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cobalt_Kid

LOL, after almost eight years of this BS I kind of doubt it's down to mere bureaucratic inertia.

It's no secret the current conservative government is accurate information adverse.

When it gets to the point where we have to guess what's going on inside our government then I think we can strongly question whether or not it's even our government anymore. I don't think we're very far from that now.

Throw in robocalls and it's possible that some conservative MPs weren't even legally elected.

Quote: Originally Posted by captain morgan

Want some cheese with your whine?

Quote: Originally Posted by Cobalt_Kid

Nope, give me my country back...

Remember what happened the last time the right tried to take this country over by force?

Quote: Originally Posted by Cobalt_Kid

Nope, give me my country back, we'll be taking it anyway in a couple of years...count on it.

Quote: Originally Posted by CDNBear

Your country?



The right?

Don't you mean the Liberals?

Quote: Originally Posted by Cobalt_Kid

Oh, so now I'm not a Canadian because I'm not a conservative?

How arrogant do you have to be to even think that way.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cobalt_Kid

LOL, I think there's just one guy sitting in some conservative office somewhere posting complete BS off some guide based on how bizarre the discussion is here.

Thanks for the laugh.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cobalt_Kid

Oh, so now I'm not a Canadian because I'm not a conservative?

How arrogant do you have to be to even think that way.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cobalt_Kid

Nope, give me my country back, we'll be taking it anyway in a couple of years...count on it.

Quote: Originally Posted by darkbeaver

How can it be arrogant to express the absolute necessity of wresting Canada back from the internationalist dogs infesting Ottawa and every provincial capital in the land. These elements are bent on birthing total war for the benefit of the elite monsters.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cobalt_Kid

Nope, give me my country back, we'll be taking it anyway in a couple of years...count on it.

Remember what happened the last time the right tried to take this country over by force?

Quote: Originally Posted by SLM

If I bothered to explain, would it even make any difference?

Quote: Originally Posted by CDNBear

What's with you people asking rhetorical questions?

Quote: Originally Posted by SLM

What's with the rhetorical questions about rhetorical questions?

Less than a generation ago, Canada was a world leader when it came to the fundamental democratic freedoms of assembly, speech and information.

In 1982, Canada adopted the Access to Information Act -- making it one of the first countries to pass legislation recognizing the right of citizens to access information held by government, and as recently as 2002, Canada ranked among the top 5 most open and transparent countries when it came to respect for freedom of the press.

Fast-forward a decade, and we've become a true north suppressed and disparate -- where unregistered civic demonstrations are inhibited and repressed, rebellious Internet activities are scrutinised and supervised, government scientists are hushed and muzzled, and public information is stalled and mired by bureaucratic firewalls.

In the 2013 World Press Freedom Index -- an evaluation done by Reporters Without Borders on the autonomy of a country's media environment, Canada came in at a paltry 20th, putting us behind liberal-democratic powerhouses such as Namibia, Costa Rica, and the Western Hemisphere's new champion of free media -- Jamaica.

So what the devil is going on?


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Quote: Originally Posted by darkbeaver

If we want to free Canada we will need an uninfected federal party. This will be very difficult to establish given the virulance of the NWO flu. fifty cents for the one who corrects that misspelled word

Quote: Originally Posted by Cobalt_Kid

Nope, give me my country back, we'll be taking it anyway in a couple of years...count on it.

Remember what happened the last time the right tried to take this country over by force?