Nova Scotia Liberal Party NS response to FOI Letter

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From: Stephen R McNeil

To: darce@eastlink.ca

Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 4:02 PM

Subject: Right to Know

Dear Mr. Fardy,

I would like to respond to your e-mail regarding our freedom of information legislation. I understand your request for our party's position went to candidates. As leader, I would like to provide you with the Liberal Party's position.

The Nova Scotia Liberal Party has committed in our platform to reducing application fees. We agree with your position, the $25.00 fee is too high. A Liberal government would reduce the fee to $5.00.

We have also argued on a number of occasions that the wait times for receiving information is often excessive. A Liberal government would review the existing process to determine whether the difficulty is with the regulatory framework (i.e. the timelines established) or whether there is a problem with adherence to those timelines.

The Liberal Party believes that government needs to be more open and accountable to the people. Our commitment to making government more accessible and accountable goes beyond our initiatives relating to access to information. I would encourage you and others to examine the Liberal Party's plan, at www.liberal.ns.ca. The plan includes commitments for fixed budget and legislative session dates, to freeze user fees and the creation of an all-party committee on House of Assembly Reform and Renewal.

I thank you for your efforts in making Nova Scotia's government more open and transparent, and thus more responsive to the people it serves.

Sincerely,

Stephen McNeil, MLA
Leader, Nova Scotia Liberal Party
Phone: (902) 424-8637
Fax: (902) 424-0539

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Nova Scotia Liberals accuse Tories of hiking gas prices (Metro)

Nova Scotia Liberals accuse Tories of hiking gas prices

Paul McLeod

28 May 2009 02:35

The Liberals say the Conservative government has been deliberately setting higher gas prices to bring in more tax revenue, and they believe they have evidence to prove it.

Gas prices in Nova Scotia are set on a weekly basis through regulation. Documents obtained through freedom of information requests by the Liberals show the Service Nova Scotia minister picks one price out of three options.

In every case, the two options not picked are blacked out because they are deemed to be advice to the minister, which is exempt from freedom of information laws.

Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil said the documents show the Tories were picking the more expensive option.

"This government is clearly picking the highest option," he said. "If they weren't, why wouldn't they release it? Why would they hide information that would prove to Nova Scotians that they were giving them a deal?"

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Metro - Freedom of information policy becomes election issue

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Freedom of information policy becomes election issue

Paul McLeod
14 May 2009 12:15

Freedom of information advocates saw good signs Wednesday, as quicker, cheaper access to information became an election campaign issue for opposition parties.

Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil promised to cut the fee for a Freedom of Information request from $5, down from $5. He also said his government would review the time it takes to fulfill a request.

"It's about accountability," McNeil said. "It's about allowing ordinary Nova Scotians to have access to the information that they should be entitled to."

The Right to Know Coalition has been lobbying for such moves for years.

"That's a good start," said coalition president Darce Fardy.

"I was very pleased with that. And that they might do something to address waiting times, which is something that we've also had a problem with. Sometimes people are waiting 18 months."

...

Metro Halifax

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