POLS 3440 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Justin Trudeau, Freedom Of Information Laws By Country, Parliamentary Debate

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLS 3440
• Professor: Geoff Stevens

Document Summary

Let the people see what their elected representatives are doing. Let taxpayers know how their money is really being spent, every penny of it. That"s what all politicians say at least they say it until they find themselves in government and discover how much more comfortable and convenient life is without the press and the public peering over their shoulders. Former prime minister stephen harper is a case in point. When he was the opposition leader, he was an enthusiastic supporter of openness and transparency. Here is what he said in 2005, the year before he took power: Without adequate access to key information about government policies and programs, citizens and parliamentarians cannot make informed decisions, and incompetent or corrupt governance can be hidden under a cloak of secrecy. [rt. 2005 opinion article. (cited in the globe and mail, nov. 2, 2007) Within a few short years, however, he was a changed man.