VANCOUVER:The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) released a new report today recommending that the Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIPPA) adopt the principles espoused in 1998 by then opposition leader Gordon Campbell and commit to open and transparent government.
"While in opposition, our premier said: ‘governments should facilitate access, not obstruct it,’” said Maureen Bader, BC Director of the CTF. "Governments are spending taxpayers’ money, so it’s only right that taxpayers should have access to the information government holds."
The CTF forwarded two recommendations to the committee, designed to make government more accountable to taxpayers. The first recommendation is that all information in the public interest must be routinely disclosed.
"It's time government follow its own past recommendations and move to a system of proactive disclosure to ensure government transparency," said Bader. "If openness is the default, there would be no need for government to waste money trying to block access to information.”
The second CTF recommendation is to make any organization receiving tax dollars subject to disclosure under the Act. This stems from problems with accountability resulting from the government's removal of public organizations, such as B.C. Ferries, from the Act, and a greater use of private sector firms to deliver government services.
"As we saw in the case of B.C. Ferries, when an organization is removed from the FOIPPA, the government no longer minds the store and if citizens are unable to investigate, their hard-earned tax dollars could be wasted," said Bader. "Competition from the private sector in the provision of government services is a welcomed development, however to ensure that taxpayers get the best bang for their buck, the way those tax dollars are spent must be transparent."
