Tories kill access to information database

by asterix | May 4, 2008 at 04:16 am

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this is one of the most ironic/hilarious[?] comment i find in the cbc news report on the decision behind closing down atip:
"extensive consultations showed it [ATIP] wasn't valued by government departments."

welloff course it wouldn't be valued by govt. departments if they don't'value' little things like transparency and accountability. and what ifthe general public "values" access to information? they don't count iguess!

The federal Conservatives have quietly killed an access to information registry used by journalists, experts and the public that users say helped hold the government accountable.

The Coordination of Access to Information Requests System, or CAIRS, is an electronic list of nearly every access to information request filed to federal departments and agencies.

Originally created in 1989, it was used as an internal tool to keep track of requests and co-ordinate the government's response between agencies to potentially sensitive information released.

"It was really a tool designed to make government more open," said CBC investigative journalist David McKie.

"Now that it appears as though this is no longer going to beavailable it is very disappointing indeed and people are reallywondering what the real motivation is."