FYI: CAJ Code of Silence -- call for nominations

[Judyth-2]

>From: Hugo Rodrigues <[hidden email]>
>Subject: [CAJ Freelance] CAJ Code of Silence -- call for nominations
>Date: Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:58:32 -0500
>Reply-To: [hidden email]
>X-Topica-Id: <1172777049.inmta009.1808.1542050>
>List-Help: <http://topica.com/lists/caj-freelance@.../>
>List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[hidden email]>
>
>Hello all:
>
>This was sent to members via e-mail earlier today.
>
>Hugo Rodrigues
>CAJ national director / communications co-ordinator
>Woodstock, ON'
>
>____________________
>
>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF JOURNALISTS
>
>Attention News Editors:
>Canadian Association of Journalists Code of
>Silence Award – Call for Nominations
>
>OTTAWA (March 1, 2007)-- It’s an award no one
>wants to win, but each year there is an endless list of worthy candidates.
>It’s time to submit your nominations for the
>Canadian Association of Journalists’ seventh
>annual Code of Silence Award, which recognizes
>the most secretive government department in Canada.
>“We look forward to the day when this award is no
>longer necessary,” said CAJ President Paul
>Schneidereit. “But sadly, there is still a need
>to single out those who have shown great
>perseverance and given award-worthy, persistent
>performances in denying the public’s fundamental
>right to know.  “Politicians and bureaucrats
>continue to perfect the art of hiding
>information, stalling the media and ultimately
>denying the public valuable information. This
>award recognizes those who have exhibited
>exceptional skill at these undemocratic practises during the past year.”
>The Code of Silence Award is handed out annually
>at the CAJ’s gala award banquet which takes place
>during the association’s annual spring
>conference.  This year, the conference is being
>held in Toronto May 24-27 as part of the Global
>Investigative Journalism Conference.
>Nominees can include municipal, provincial and
>federal government departments as well as public
>agencies that work in the public interest with public money.
>Last year, the Ontario Attorney General was
>recognized for imposing the highest fees in the
>country for public access to court records.
>Nominations can be submitted by e-mail:
><mailto:[hidden email]>[hidden email]
>(write “Code of Silence” in subject line) Nominations close April 30, 2007
>The Canadian Association of Journalists is a
>professional organization with some 1,400 members
>across Canada. The CAJ's primary role is to
>provide public-interest advocacy and quality
>professional development for its members.
>
>For further information:
>Paul Schneidereit, CAJ president,  [phone];
>John Dickins, CAJ executive director, [phone], Cell phone [phone]
>
>This discussion list for freelance journalists  is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Journalists.
>
>Join the CAJ: http://www.caj.ca/membership/index.html
>
>To send a message: [hidden email]
>
>To unsubscribe: send an e-mail to
>[hidden email] or use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any individual message. (Latter feature not available in digest version).
>
>CAJ Lists Guidelines: http://www.caj.ca/services/list-serv-rules.html
>
>For more information about this list, visit: http://lists.topica.com/lists/caj-freelance
>
>or contact our moderator:
>
>Al Emid: [hidden email]
>

##########################################################
Judyth Mermelstein   "cogito ergo lego ergo cogito..."
Montreal, QC         <[hidden email]>
Canada H4G 1J4       <[hidden email]>
##########################################################
"A word to the wise is sufficient. For others, use more."
"Un mot suffit aux sages; pour les autres, il en faut plus."

[Tracey P. Lauriault-2]

Hey!

Should we send one about stat can pricing?


Judyth wrote:

>> From: Hugo Rodrigues <[hidden email]>
>> Subject: [CAJ Freelance] CAJ Code of Silence -- call for nominations
>> Date: Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:58:32 -0500
>> Reply-To: [hidden email]
>> X-Topica-Id: <1172777049.inmta009.1808.1542050>
>> List-Help: <http://topica.com/lists/caj-freelance@.../>
>> List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[hidden email]>
>>
>> Hello all:
>>
>> This was sent to members via e-mail earlier today.
>>
>> Hugo Rodrigues
>> CAJ national director / communications co-ordinator
>> Woodstock, ON'
>>
>> ____________________
>>
>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>> CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF JOURNALISTS
>>
>> Attention News Editors:
>> Canadian Association of Journalists Code of
>> Silence Award – Call for Nominations
>>
>> OTTAWA (March 1, 2007)-- It’s an award no one
>> wants to win, but each year there is an endless list of worthy candidates.
>> It’s time to submit your nominations for the
>> Canadian Association of Journalists’ seventh
>> annual Code of Silence Award, which recognizes
>> the most secretive government department in Canada.
>> “We look forward to the day when this award is no
>> longer necessary,” said CAJ President Paul
>> Schneidereit. “But sadly, there is still a need
>> to single out those who have shown great
>> perseverance and given award-worthy, persistent
>> performances in denying the public’s fundamental
>> right to know.  “Politicians and bureaucrats
>> continue to perfect the art of hiding
>> information, stalling the media and ultimately
>> denying the public valuable information. This
>> award recognizes those who have exhibited
>> exceptional skill at these undemocratic practises during the past year.”
>> The Code of Silence Award is handed out annually
>> at the CAJ’s gala award banquet which takes place
>> during the association’s annual spring
>> conference.  This year, the conference is being
>> held in Toronto May 24-27 as part of the Global
>> Investigative Journalism Conference.
>> Nominees can include municipal, provincial and
>> federal government departments as well as public
>> agencies that work in the public interest with public money.
>> Last year, the Ontario Attorney General was
>> recognized for imposing the highest fees in the
>> country for public access to court records.
>> Nominations can be submitted by e-mail:
>> <mailto:[hidden email]>[hidden email]
>> (write “Code of Silence” in subject line) Nominations close April 30, 2007
>> The Canadian Association of Journalists is a
>> professional organization with some 1,400 members
>> across Canada. The CAJ's primary role is to
>> provide public-interest advocacy and quality
>> professional development for its members.
>>
>> For further information:
>> Paul Schneidereit, CAJ president,  [phone];
>> John Dickins, CAJ executive director, [phone], Cell phone [phone]
>>
>> This discussion list for freelance journalists  is sponsored by the Canadian Association of Journalists.
>>
>> Join the CAJ: http://www.caj.ca/membership/index.html
>>
>> To send a message: [hidden email]
>>
>> To unsubscribe: send an e-mail to
>> [hidden email] or use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any individual message. (Latter feature not available in digest version).
>>
>> CAJ Lists Guidelines: http://www.caj.ca/services/list-serv-rules.html
>>
>> For more information about this list, visit: http://lists.topica.com/lists/caj-freelance
>>
>> or contact our moderator:
>>
>> Al Emid: [hidden email]
>>
>>    
>
> ##########################################################
> Judyth Mermelstein   "cogito ergo lego ergo cogito..."
> Montreal, QC         <[hidden email]>
> Canada H4G 1J4       <[hidden email]>
> ##########################################################
> "A word to the wise is sufficient. For others, use more."
> "Un mot suffit aux sages; pour les autres, il en faut plus."
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
> [hidden email]
> http://civicaccess.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss_civicaccess.ca
>
>
>
>  

[Russell McOrmond-2]

Tracey P. Lauriault wrote:
> Hey!
>
> Should we send one about stat can pricing?

   Do we have someone to send it for us through the newswires?  Just
having it on all our BLOGS isn't really enough.


BTW: Heard you on the radio the other day talking about ogWIFI.


--
  Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
  Please help us tell the Canadian Parliament to protect our property
  rights as owners of Information Technology. Sign the petition!
  http://www.digital-copyright.ca/petition/ict/

  "The government, lobbied by legacy copyright holders and hardware
   manufacturers, can pry my camcorder, computer, home theatre, or
   portable media player from my cold dead hands!"

[Judyth Mermelstein]

"Tracey P. Lauriault" <[hidden email]> asked:
>Should we send one about stat can pricing?

I'll defer to the opinions of others but must point out that the CAJ is not especially interested in the pricing aspect: what concerns them is the situation where a government department refuses to divulge information the public has a right or need to know.

StatsCan is actually pretty forthcoming compared to such ministries as Foreign Affairs, Justice, Health Canada and Environment Canada. They may charge (through the nose) for some information we believe should be open to all at no charge but I've yet to hear anyone accuse the statisticians of deliberately concealing or "redacting" documents to hide what's really happening. Given what's gone on with the "security certificate" cases and the enquiry into the Air India bombing, I suspect several nominees will be parties concerned in those cover-ups: e.g., Stockwell Day as Public Security Minister, Vic Toews for his former role at Justice...

Personally, I'd nominate Stephen Harper for multiple causes and especially for prohibiting all Conservative cabinet ministers from telling the public anything without express prior consent from the PMO. (The PMO under the Liberals wasn't much less highhanded but it at least pretended to respect our elected representatives, whereas we now have a government that announces it will simply ignore acts passed by Parliament and do as its inner circle pleases.)

It wouldn't be fair to nominate Rona Ambrose for purging the Environment Canada Web site of useful public information (e.g. on the Kyoto Accord, means of reducing energy consumption, etc.): she was "only following orders" from her superiors. (cf. Editorial: "Don't blame Rona," by Ish Theilheimer. Policy decisions were made by Stephen Harper, "new" environment minister, and cronies.
http://www.straightgoods.ca/ViewFeature7.cfm?REF=34 )
 I gather bits of the material developed under the Liberals will be published again once it's been rewritten to Conservative ideological specifications.

Since the Code of Silence Award is for the department which best blocked the public's right to know over the past year, we might want to reflect on what each of us knows about non-compliance with freedom of information requests, unpublicized threats to public health and safety, etc. rather than mere attempts to switch government from a "public good" model to a commercially profitable one. I passed along the call for nominations in the hope that somebody here has access to more inside information than I do.

Cynically yours,

Judyth

...

>>>
>>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>>> CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF JOURNALISTS
>>>
>>> Attention News Editors:
>>> Canadian Association of Journalists Code of
>>> Silence Award ? Call for Nominations
>>>
>>> OTTAWA (March 1, 2007)-- It?s an award no one
>>> wants to win, but each year there is an endless list of worthy candidates.
>>> It?s time to submit your nominations for the
>>> Canadian Association of Journalists? seventh
>>> annual Code of Silence Award, which recognizes
>>> the most secretive government department in Canada.
>>> ?We look forward to the day when this award is no
>>> longer necessary,? said CAJ President Paul
>>> Schneidereit. ?But sadly, there is still a need
>>> to single out those who have shown great
>>> perseverance and given award-worthy, persistent
>>> performances in denying the public?s fundamental
>>> right to know.  ?Politicians and bureaucrats
>>> continue to perfect the art of hiding
>>> information, stalling the media and ultimately
>>> denying the public valuable information. This
>>> award recognizes those who have exhibited
>>> exceptional skill at these undemocratic practises during the past year.?

##########################################################
Judyth Mermelstein   "cogito ergo lego ergo cogito..."
Montreal, QC         <[hidden email]>
Canada H4G 1J4       <[hidden email]>
##########################################################
"A word to the wise is sufficient. For others, use more."
"Un mot suffit aux sages; pour les autres, il en faut plus."