Right to Know Week Forum

King's (Alumni Hall) on October 4 from 7 to 10 pm

In honour of the national Right to Know Week, the Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia (RTKNS) will be hosting a public forum at King's (Alumni Hall) on October 4 from 7 to 10 pm.

On the program:

- Deputy Chief Chris MacNeil on what the public has a right to know about police activities and what it does not have a right to know.

- Former DM Justice Doug Keefe discusses openness in government.

- MLAs will be questioned by a panel of journalism students

- And Dulcie McCallum the new Review Officer will speak on privacy protection in the FOIPOP Act.

All are welcome to attend. Hope you can make it.

Darce Fardy
President
Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia
(902) 422-1481
darce@eastlink.ca
www.nsrighttoknow.ca

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhnr5g6x_105cx88qc

For other Right to Know Week events, check the NS FOIPOP Review Office site for the latest details:

http://www.foipop.ns.ca/news.html

Cheers, Greg Pemberton (RTKNS Web Admin)

Sorry for the lack of activity on the blog lately. When it is quiet on the blog, it usually means the real world is taking up more time.

The next Coalition Board of Directors Meeting will be held on September 7th at 12 noon in Brian Awad's office, 18th floor, 1801 Lower Water Street, Halifax. map

Note: there will be a motion to amend the by-laws because they still make reference to a Secretary-Treasurer in certain places. These would be in the nature of "housekeeping amendments" following the creation of the separate offices of Secretary and Treasurer at the AGM.



The Coalition has been asked to attend the Dalhousie School of Information Management Associations Display during their Orientation Week, September 7th from 12:45pm-2:00pm. This will take place on campus in the Common area located on the fourth floor of the Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building (located at 6100 University Avenue). Indranil Dutta and I will be attending.


Right to Know Week is coming up fast and there again will be a Forum held at Alumni Hall, First Floor, King's New Academic Building. University of King's College, Halifax, Nova Scotia. More details to follow.

We are always working to expand the membership this year. If you are interested you can sign up via the form posted on the Membership page of our website.

We are currently looking for a volunteer Development/Fundraising Director. If you are interested please contact Darce Fardy ( Darce@eastlink.ca )

That's it for now.

Cheers,
Greg Pemberton
RTKNS Web Admin

July 17, 2007

Today's court results regarding the South West Shore Development Authority appeal:

The hearing into whether the Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia will be permitted to intervene in the South West Shore Development Authority appeal in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia is now scheduled for September 18, 2007.

Advocacy Group to Intervene in South West Shore Development Authority [SWSDA] Case

(Halifax, NS) The Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia today filed an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in Halifax asking the court to permit Right to Know to intervene in a case concerning the South West Shore Development Authority.


At issue in the case is whether Nova Scotia’s freedom of information (FOI) legislation applies to the Authority. The South West Shore Development Authority is one of thirteen Regional Development Authorities in Nova Scotia.


Darce Fardy, President of Right to Know, who is also a past Freedom of Information Review Officer, explained why Right to Know has taken an interest in the case. "The South West Shore Development Authority is telling the court that it is not bound by Nova Scotia’s FOI legislation. We believe there is an overriding public interest in the decisions of public authorities concerning economic development. The province and municipalities have given these bodies a key role in economic development – an activity that is of great public interest and concern.


"We believe public access to information – required by both the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Municipal Government Act – is vital to ensuring that good economic development decisions are made by the government and the regional development authorities. At the very least, there should be clarification as to whether the current FOI legislation applies to Nova Scotia’s regional development authorities," he said.


Fardy noted that Right to Know will seek the court’s permission to intervene on the question of whether the legislation applies to the Authority, and does not intend to comment otherwise on the parties or the case at this time.


The Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia is an advocacy group established in 2006 to encourage the use and development of freedom of information legislation in order to foster a better informed and more politically active electorate in Nova Scotia, and to improve the quality of public and private decision making in the province. Right to Know aims to achieve this mission through both advocacy and education.


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10 July 2007


For information contact

Darce Fardy, President
The Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia
Tel. (902) 422-1481
E-mail. darce@eastlink.ca

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING / TELECONFERENCE

Date / time: July 20, 2007, 10:00 a.m.

Location (in-person participation): Suite 1800, 1801 Hollis Street,
Halifax

Call in instructions (telephone participation): TBA

Agenda:
1. Annual report of the President
2. Annual financial report of the Secretary-Treasurer 3. By-law
amendment -- dispensing with the combined office of Secretary-Treasurer
and created two separate offices of Secretary and Treasurer 4. By-law
amendment -- increasing the number of permitted directors from seven to
15 5. Election of Directors 6. Election of Officers 7. Other business


Brian K. Awad
Secretary
RTKCNS