I have made a few Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) and have received, in cases, redacted documents and refusal of release of information on various grounds.
Now the RMOW wants to charge me to do “research” on information that is a button push away.
Now the BC NDP is introducing user fees for FOI requests. It will now cost you at least $25 to find out where your tax dollars went in B.C.
Now our health boards are redacting documents and playing stalling tactics with our lives and those of our children.
Government must be transparent, and this fee will further erode public trust in our government and public institutions. This is how conspiracy theories can get their start—lack of democratic process and information that should be owned to the electorate.
Government works for the people. Politicians get paycheques. There is more disclosure running a public company than in our governments.
Oh—my most recent edited FOI request to the RMOW?
- What is the name of the law firm the RMOW used to litigate against the Pique?
- What was the total amount billed by this firm for the action?
Not asking for nuclear launch codes here...
Patrick Smyth // Whistler
