How do deal with FOI - Create no Documents or destroy them!

[Tracey P. Lauriault]

Looks like the tories are wreaking a bit more havock!  Best way to deal with transparency and democracy, according to this minority government that no one I know (except for 1 person) voted for, seems to be to not produce any documents whatsoever!

 

G&M: Is this the answer to access requests? Stop keeping records?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/is-this-the-answer-to-access-requests-stop-keeping-records/article1480151/

 

But the Conservatives may have found the ultimate solution to the problem. There's an easy way to prevent anyone from getting access to your records, a veteran bureaucrat explained this week – don't keep records. Team Harper is catching on, he said. There's far less documentation, far less record-keeping. It's the formula for deniability. Why not make it the way of the future?

The bureaucrat was at the Department of National Defence, where the Afghan detainee affair has brought controversy, some of it prompted by journalistic prying through access laws. “I get a call from the Privy Council Office,” he said. “They're setting up a conference call. The first thing that's said is ‘No note-taking, no recordings, nothing. We don't want to see anything in writing on this.' … That's the way they develop policies now and, for my money, it's scary.”

Next they will stop producing data!  Hmm! Sounds like China.

 

via: SPNO List

--
Tracey P. Lauriault
613-234-2805
https://gcrc.carleton.ca/confluence/display/GCRCWEB/Lauriault

[Eugen Melinte]

>
> Looks like the tories are wreaking a bit more havock!  Best way to deal with
> transparency and democracy, according to this minority government that no
> one I know (except for 1 person) voted for, seems to be to not produce any
> documents whatsoever!
>
> *G&M: Is this the answer to access requests? Stop keeping records?*
> http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/is-this-the-answer-to-access-requests-stop-keeping-records/article1480151/
>    

The problem is much bigger: the OIC has stopped functioning as a
watchdog ever sicne Reid left office. Consequently, anything is now
permitted. Those are simple pasive tactics and I have seen much worse
that simply not taking notes.

Is anyone here is willing to get forces together to address the issue to
the Standing Committee, please contact me directly.

Regards,
e.

[Jennifer Bell]

The main problem, I think, with the OIC is that they aren't keeping any metrics centrally.  They're relying on departments to report into them with what seem to be paper-based reports, and doing spot checks and report cards on problem areas.  

It would be more efficient if the OIC were the online central broker for ATIP requests, so that they could do tracking and metrics themselves on how long requests take, etc.  Sort of like what we (VisibleGovernment) were trying to do with our Access to Information Tracker.  

In fact, the OIC may well be going in this direction.  This afternoon I was notified of a new OIC website which I think could turn into something quite good:

http://www.oic-ci.gc.ca/eng/rr-sl.aspx

An online reading room!  The scope for April 2010 seems to be requests to the OIC only, but I don't know why they couldn't expand this to all depts.

I'm in Ottawa today and tommorrow for some meetings with MPs on the Accountability Act.  Open data might be getting onto the opposition's radar.

Jennifer
http://visiblegovernment.ca

--- On Sun, 2/28/10, Aurelian Melinte <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: Aurelian Melinte <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: [CivicAccess-discuss] How do deal with FOI - Create no Documents or destroy them!
> To: [hidden email]
> Received: Sunday, February 28, 2010, 4:56 PM
> >
> > Looks like the tories are wreaking a bit more
> havock!  Best way to deal with
> > transparency and democracy, according to this minority
> government that no
> > one I know (except for 1 person) voted for, seems to
> be to not produce any
> > documents whatsoever!
> >
> > *G&M: Is this the answer to access requests? Stop
> keeping records?*
> > http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/is-this-the-answer-to-access-requests-stop-keeping-records/article1480151/
> >   
>
> The problem is much bigger: the OIC has stopped functioning
> as a watchdog ever sicne Reid left office. Consequently,
> anything is now permitted. Those are simple pasive tactics
> and I have seen much worse that simply not taking notes.
>
> Is anyone here is willing to get forces together to address
> the issue to the Standing Committee, please contact me
> directly.
>
> Regards,
> e.
>
> _______________________________________________
> CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
> [hidden email]
> http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss
>

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