DOWNTOWN KITCHENER TRANSIT HUB SECRECY

Last Saturday's Waterloo Region Record carried this story "Another big project-more self-serving secrecy by region". Jeff Outhit of the record gives several examples of regional secrecy revolving around transportation issues. He suggests that the Region's excuse, when they blackout nearly 150 pages of a 357 page report, that secrecy preserves future deals is that those deals may be suspect, poorly negotiated or ill advised. The Region have even kept secret their investigation into the serious roundabout accident involving a St. Mary's high school student. Ontario's information commissioner has suggested that while the region may have the legal right to do so; it is still wrongheaded to have done so. Her quote is as follows : "Citizens must be ensured the right to access government records in order to participate meaningfully in civil life, which is not possible if government activities are hidden from public view.".