NL premier's branch of the civil service using its clout to foil FOI requests

Last updated at 9:29 AM on 06/12/08

Executive decisions

The premier's branch of the civil service has been quietly involved in vetting responses under the province's freedom of information laws, directing other

Premier Danny Williams - Image via Wikipedia

public bodies to keep information secret

ROB ANTLE
The Telegram

The branch of the civil service that serves the premier's office has been directing other government departments and agencies to keep information secret from the public, ignoring recommendations to the contrary from an independent officer of the House of Assembly.

Executive Council has no actual legislative authority to tell other public bodies what to do.

But documents pieced together by The Telegram over the past six months reveal that Executive Council is using its clout - mainly under instructions contained in a government policy manual - to keep information secret.



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NL Government withholding school reports

Image via Wikipedia

Government withholding school reports

EDUCATION

Engineering assessments of Holy Heart, Bishops still in 'draft' form, months after decisions made

ROB ANTLE
The Telegram

Holy Heart of Mary Regional High School is slated for closure as a part of school restructuring in St. John's. — Photo by Joe Gibbons/The Telegram

The provincial Department of Education is withholding engineering reports on the state of two St. John's high schools, claiming the reports are still in draft form - even though the local school authority made decisions four months ago based in part on the reports' findings.

On March 5, The Telegram asked for copies of the engineering reports for Bishops College and Holy Heart of Mary High School.

But Friday - 23 days after the initial request - department officials said the reports are still not final, and cannot be released to the public.

Provincial officials said that consultants are making minor revisions to the studies, correcting information such as the age of Holy Heart, which was listed incorrectly.

They said a misunderstanding led to the department not making it clear three weeks ago that the reports were still in draft form.

"Every effort is being made to get it finalized, and to be able to release it," Department of Education spokeswoman Jacquelyn Howard said.

She denied that the department is classifying the reports as drafts to delay making them public. But the government won't release what it has now.

"That would be a draft report, that's something we don't do - we're not going to release a draft report, it has to be finalized," Howard said.

"There is no intent to withhold it; it's clarifying information that's in it," Howard added.

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Corner Brook gets D+ in freedom of information audit print this article

Last updated at 10:46 AM on 10/01/09

Corner Brook gets D+ in freedom of information audit
ST. JOHN'S
ROB ANTLE
The Telegram

A national freedom of information (FOI) audit found a tale of two cities in Newfoundland and Labrador.

St. John's ranked third-best out of 22 municipal governments across the country surveyed by the Canadian Newspaper Association, garnering a grade of B.

But Corner Brook was near the bottom of the pile, in 16th spot. The west coast city earned a grade of D+.

The Canadian Newspaper Association - in conjunction with the University of King's College in Halifax - carried out the FOI audit, which ran from August to November 2008.

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