What Are They Up To? (Or "Global Warming: Top Secret)

"We weren't consulted on that," said B.C. Privacy Commission David Loukidelis, who said he noticed the change to the law only after the fact, when looking at a government website. "It's the first time I can remember that we weren't consulted on an amendment of the FOI Act." To give the cabinet committee the same secrecy status as five other committees of cabinet, one of which already deals with the environment, the B.C. cabinet passed an order-in-council to amend the freedom of information law to block the public and media from obtaining anything that is discussed or presented to the climate change committee. Most experts see cabinet secrecy as essential in making government policy, including Loukidelis, who sees nothing "untoward" about such committees. But the privacy commissioner has warned the government to invoke such exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act "sparingly." That is because the power throws a blanket of secrecy over everything submitted to the committee -- such as consultants' reports, minutes of meetings, advice of deputy ministers and financial information about the cost of fighting global warming. "It's not good," said Lisa Matthaus of the Sierra Club environmental group. "This is a surprising move. We think there should be a transparent debate on what the government is considering, something like what is happening with the health conversation [called by Campbell to revamp the health care system]." http://tinyurl.com/36y532

Note: http://tinyurl.com/36y532