Lack of government transparency is galling

A document with the title A Step Backwards: Report Card on Government’s Access to Information Responses doesn’t exactly inspire trust in the B. C. government’s commitment to transparency. In fact, it should — and does — trigger a lot of serious questions.

Information and privacy commissioner Elizabeth Denham’s report on how the B. C. government is ( or more accurately, is not) fulfilling thousands of information requests every year paints a startling picture of delay tactics, obstruction and a serious lack of adherence to the basic principles of freedom of information.

The report says one- time access to information requests in the past two years dropped from 93 per cent to 74 per cent. The four government ministries with the lowest on- time rates were justice at 72 per cent, energy and mines at 66 per cent, jobs, tourism and skills training at 65 per cent, and the Ministry of Children and Family Development with 52 per cent. The differences in departmental numbers is informative, but what it tells us on a larger scale is that almost every department is trying to keep information hidden.

The media have always faced stonewalling bureaucrats and politicians who hide behind procedures and paperwork. It is government’s first line of defence when the media look for information that could make the government look bad.

But is a wrist- slapping report going to stop the stonewalling? Not likely. If the province cared about its previous commitments to transparency, it would have laid down the law internally. It hasn’t.

It’s time to inflict the same deterrents on government ministries they inflict on citizens: If they miss deadlines, fine them. And put the money toward school supplies.