Asking questions has become ‘not responsible’

The Trudeau government’s troubling lack of transparency is a threat to Canadian democracy

KEN GRAFTON

Try to get a straight answer out of the Liberal government. They are as rare as rocking-horse manure.

In 2015 Justin Trudeau ran on a promise of transparent government.

Speaking at a campaign stop in Papineau, he accused Stephen Harper of turning Ottawa into a “partisan swamp,” and pledged to “… make information more accessible by requiring transparency to be a fundamental principle across the federal government.”

Trudeau accused the outgoing prime minister of leading the “most secretive, divisive and hyperpartisan government in Canada’s history,” and said that he would “clean up his mess.”

The Liberal campaign platform read, “Government and its information should be open by default. Data paid for by Canadians belongs to Canadians. We will restore trust in our democracy, and that begins with trusting Canadians.”

His open letter to Canadians dated Nov. 4, 2015, stated, “… we committed to a responsible, transparent fiscal plan for challenging economic times. We expect you to hold the government accountable for delivering these commitments.”

Transparent government was a core issue for Trudeau.

It faded quickly after he took office. The introduction to “Canada’s Plan on Open Government 2016-2018” begins with the statement, “Openness and transparency are fundamental to ensuring Canadians’ trust in their government and in democracy overall. Citizens expect their government to be open, transparent, and accountable. They also expect their government to deliver real, meaningful results, in a fair, efficient, and responsible manner.”

It goes on to say, “The Government of Canada will restore trust in public institutions by conducting business in an open and transparent way and making sure Canadians’ voices are heard.”

So far, so good. But wait … there’s more. Far from fostering “greater transparency and accountability,” the Trudeau government has in fact set new standards for corruption and nondisclosure of public information.

It goes well beyond the endemic fecal political corruption that has resulted in five Liberal ethics investigations to date.

The Liberals will simply not give a straight answer to any question, however justified and straightforward it might be … to anyone.

Access to information, however, is necessary to democracy.

The Carter Centre at Emory University, founded by president Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter to enhance freedom and democracy, highlight its importance; “Access to information is a crucial element in the effort to reduce corruption, increase accountability, and deepen trust among citizens and their governments.”

Corruption is a global problem, and growing in Canada under the Trudeau government. Canada has fallen from the top 10 least corrupt countries, as rated by international corruption watchdog Transparency International’s “Corruption Perception Index.” Canada slipped four points in one year to the number 12 position, with a score of 77 out of 100.

Lavalin-Gate was a major factor in the downgrade.

According to the Carter Centre, “The consequences of corruption globally have been clear: unequal access to public services and justice, reduced investor confidence, continued poverty, and even violence and overthrow of governments. A high level of corruption is a singularly pernicious societal problem that also undermines the rule of law and citizen confidence in democratic institutions.”

So, corruption is bad, and access to information is crucial in the fight against it.

Journalism is crucial to democracy, and good journalism requires good information.

Increasingly, this foundational decretum of democracy is being trampled daily by the Trudeau government.

Consider the recent exchange between Conservative Finance Critic Pierre Poilievre and Liberal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland during the “Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2021 Budget” on Dec. 9.

Poilievre: “The bank has bought $180 million of corporate bonds. To be accountable to the people, it has to tell people where their money went. So, will the minister commit that the bank will reveal which corporations got that money?”

Freeland: “Mister Chair, as I said earlier, I am a very strong believer in the importance that the independence of the Bank of Canada plays in our economy … and in our financial system … and I would urge members to ask questions … pertaining to the Bank of Canada, of the Bank of Canada.”

Poilievre: “Well, the minister says that the bank is accountable to the people. We are the people’s representatives. Surely, we should know. So, where did the $180 million go?”

Freeland: “Mister Chair, I want to be very clear that it is undermining of our economy … to be … raising questions in the minds of Canadians about the independence of the Bank of Canada. That is not responsible behaviour.”

Questions are now irresponsible. How Orwellian.

The Trudeau government’s unprecedented lack of transparency has become a clear and present danger to democracy.