Having strong access-to-information laws is key to a thriving democracy. This legislation allows citizens to obtain inspection reports from local seniors' homes, dig up details on politicians' spending or discover memos on policy decisions.
In Newspapers Canada's annual National Freedom of Information Audit, B.C. once again gets an F for releasing freedom-of-information requests in a timely fashion. On response times, the federal government scored a D, with municipalities overall rating a B.
As Canada's seventh Right to Know Week begins, people should consider the importance of having efficient access to public information. It's clear that all levels of government have room for improvement.
