On his first full day in office, President Barack Obama ordered this memo be circulated:
January 21, 2009
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
SUBJECT: Freedom of Information Act
A democracy requires accountability, and accountability requires transparency. As Justice Louis Brandeis wrote, “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” In our democracy, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which encourages accountability through transparency, is the most prominent expression of a profound national commitment to ensuring an open Government. At the heart of that commitment is the idea that accountability is in the interest of the Government and the citizenry alike.
The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails. The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears. Nondisclosure should never be based on an effort to protect the personal interests of Government officials at the expense of those they are supposed to serve. In responding to requests under the FOIA, executive branch agencies (agencies) should act promptly and in a spirit of cooperation, recognizing that such agencies are servants of the public.
All agencies should adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure, in order to renew their commitment to the principles embodied in FOIA, and to usher in a new era of open Government. The presumption of disclosure should be applied to all decisions involving FOIA.
The presumption of disclosure also means that agencies should take affirmative steps to make information public. They should not wait for specific requests from the public. All agencies should use modern technology to inform citizens about what is known and done by their Government. Disclosure should be timely.
I direct the Attorney General to issue new guidelines governing the FOIA to the heads of executive departments and agencies, reaffirming the commitment to accountability and transparency, and to publish such guidelines in the Federal Register. In doing so, the Attorney General should review FOIA reports produced by the agencies under Executive Order 13392 of December 14, 2005. I also direct the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to update guidance to the agencies to increase and improve information dissemination to the public, including through the use of new technologies, and to publish such guidance in the Federal Register.
This memorandum does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.
Canada's Information Commissioner heartily approves.
Technorati Tags: access to information
Congratulations to Pres. Obama for emulating some of our PM's policies.
In addition to this accountability memorandum, there's also a little matter of freezing some high salaries.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j-fugTG4LpS54ZkqqdkfoPmNm1OAD95RMP081
«President Barack Obama announced on his first day in office Wednesday that he is freezing the pay of the about a hundred White House employees who make over $100,000 a year.
The freeze would hold salaries at their current levels. It is part of a presidential memorandum being issued Wednesday when Obama attends a swearing-in for staff at the White House.
In a statement, Obama said “families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington.”»
In the US – dare I say, in Canada as well – they're cheering these two moves by Pres. Obama. Yet a similar move here by our PM gets him only acrimony and threats of bringing down his government.
It appears the adage “No prophet is well-received in his own land” would apply in this case.
Congratulations to Pres. Obama for emulating some of our PM's policies.
You can't be serious. This is the most secretive government Canada has ever had. Even simple government policies are state secrets.
Perhaps you have missed these:
1. establishing a North American solution to GHG emissions, and encouraging ALL countries of the world to do their share.
2. policy on Afghanistan (which BTW the NDP is willing to cast aside in order to get 6 cabinet posts if the coalition succeeds in grabbing power)
3. lowering taxes for the middle class
4. supporting Israel's right to self-defense
5. supporting civil unions for same-sex couples, rather than redefining “marriage”
Those are some of the similarities. Oh, and it has now become OK to name a Supreme Being at the end of a leader's speech. It's no longer considered a frightening or threatening thing for a politician to admit to having religious beliefs now that Pres. Obama utters the word God.