Bizarre case reveals NDP death grip on freedom of information
How much does the NDP dislike, mistrust and manipulate freedom of information?
So much, it turns out, that when information is requested through the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (known as FOIP), key answers are blotted out on page after page, turning the report into a wasteland of white.
In the latest bizarre case, this happened even though the government had already made the answer public.
Yes, the NDP actually “redacted” figures on the cost of collecting the carbon tax, when months earlier it proudly said that cost is $2.5 million a year.
This almost defies explanation, but one is possible, given the NDP’s dismal record on freedom of information.
The $2.5-million annual cost, stated in April by Finance Minister Joe Ceci, might be very different from the numbers blotted out in the FOIP response to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
That suggests the NDP is blowing public smoke about the real cost.
Surely aware of this dangerous perception, the government was gushing numbers by Wednesday afternoon.
The real cost of all carbon tax administration is $2.1 million annually, due to further efficiencies, officials said.
But why was the information denied to the FOIP applicants?
Because at that stage, it was advice to cabinet, and couldn’t be disclosed. Right. The NDP’s reading of freedom of information law is so restrictive that it prevents release of information already released.
And we still don’t know what those internal documents actually say.
Jill Clayton, Alberta’s information and privacy commissioner, is absolutely right about this crew.
In February, Clayton released a report slamming the NDP for delays and government contempt for the whole FOIP process.
“Among the most concerning of the findings from this investigation are the comments relayed to the investigator about the lack of respect for access to information across the government of Alberta,” she said.
Even material supplied to the privacy commissioner is heavily redacted.
A further complication stems from a court ruling that says she can’t require the government to provide her with information that involves any hint of solicitor-client privilege.
These trends were well advanced in the PCs’ dying days, but Clayton suggests they’re at least as bad now.
“I thought that with a change of government we would see a different approach. I think I can say that, yes, I was surprised that that did not happen.”
Clayton’s statements are the strongest I’ve heard from a legislature officer since 2009, when chief electoral officer Lorne Gibson blasted failings in the elections system and released more than 100 recommendations for reform.
His contract wasn’t renewed. The PC majority simply shouldered aside an officer who dared to serve the public.
Someday that may be Jill Clayton’s fate with the NDP.
Admirably, she doesn’t seem to care.
In the current case, the document released about carbon tax cost says this:
“The total operating cost design, implementation and administration from 2017-18 to 2021 is expected to be (blank).
“A further (blank) of capital will also be required for the ongoing design and build of the IT system to administer the program.”
It was sent by deputy finance minister Lorna Rosen to Eric Denhoff, deputy minister of the climate change office.
This is an exchange between senior officials.
Arguably, the document falls short of advice to cabinet. The NDP holds the spirit of FOIP in shackles to deny release of those figures.
So, here’s a question for Albertans who go through all the hoops to get detailed information from government:
If the NDP won’t give you data that’s already public, what are your chances for information that isn’t?