To the Editor:
Local Member of Parliament Garry Breitkreuz couldn’t have been clearer when he said: “In my experience we need more openness and transparency in government... Democracy cannot function effectively if there is not a free flow of information. We need to know what is happening behind the scenes in government.”1
Soon he will have a chance to show how he is putting that sentiment into practice as your representative when he votes on the Transparency Act.
This bill was introduced by Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau to raise the bar on openness and accountability by making government information open by default. It is a good faith effort to work across the aisle and achieve results for Canadians.
The Transparency Act would modernize our Access to Information system, which is stuck in the 1980s. It would make all government data public by default and available in modern formats. It would empower an independent office to order that information to be disclosed. It would eliminate extra fees for information requests.
The Act would also make the meetings of the governing board of the House of Commons open by default, allowing Canadians to see how MPs make decisions on their own spending.
These changes would go a long way to addressing criticisms by the press, researchers, independent experts and others, and ensure that citizens have a real right to know what their government does.
Mr. Trudeau has been clear that he wants to work with all MPs, and is open to amendments, suggestions and improvements. He believes that together we can help restore a sense of trust in our democracy.
Private Members Bills like this are normally “free votes”, which allow MPs to vote with their conscience instead of their party. We sincerely hope that Mr. Breitkreuz will vote in favour of the Transparency Act.
Yours sincerely,
Scott Simms, MP
Liberal Party of Canada Democratic Reform Critic
