Goucher 'frustrated' by secrecy over Cornwallis documents - The Nova Scotia Business Journal|

Last updated at 2:36 PM on 16/11/07  

Goucher 'frustrated' by secrecy over Cornwallis documents

 

BY BETH JOHNSTON, TRANSCONTINENTAL MEDIA

The Nova Scotia Business Journal

 
 

Immigration Minister Len Goucher wistfully compared his open and transparent days as Bedford councillor to his current, hands-tied provincial government position Thursday.

Goucher says he wants to release documents obtained by the legislature's public-accounts committee - which may clarify when the province first received advice to reduce its hefty immigration fees - but he can't. He said he wants to release three audited financial statements prepared on the nominee program's trust fund while Cornwallis Financial Corp. was managing it, but Cornwallis won't let him.

"I've always been a believer in openness and transparency - it's just part of the municipal process - and here I am in provincial government. And if you're asking me if I get frustrated because I can't release certain things, yeah absolutely."

Goucher urged reporters yesterday to file Freedom of Information requests for the documents.

Auditor General Jacques Lapointe is looking into the province's mentorship program, which the province suspended in June 2006, after a report showed Nova Scotia was charging the highest immigration fees in Canada. The government terminated its contract with Cornwallis and later offered $60 million in refunds to 600 applicants. The nominee program was created in 2002 as a way of attracting skilled immigrants to Nova Scotia.

"We have released everything that was requested, including the audited statements, to the Auditor General, he will have full co-operation from our department on that," Goucher said. "Cabinet confidentiality is still another issue."

Last Friday Goucher asked Cornwallis to give third-party consent to release the documents to the media. He got a letter from Cornwallis on Wednesday night informing him they had chosen "no position" on the documents' release. Immigration Department lawyers wouldn't release this letter from Cornwallis to Goucher Thursday.

"Without their consent, it's not possible for us to release those documents outside of the FOIPOP (freedom of information and protection of privacy) process," he said. "I would strongly suggest that you go through the FOIPOP process immediately.

"We're going to do our best to ensure that, from the standpoint of the media, and the standpoint of the public that we will endeavour to get all information out that we can, to the public in a timely manner." – The Daily News

 
 

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