Time for a Little Web Cleaning

May 31, 2006

Time for a Little Web Cleaning

Suggestion: Eliminate open cabinet meetings

Response:
Open Cabinet meetings give the public an opportunity to witness how discussions take place around the Cabinet table and how decisions are made. This is all a part of our commitment to more open government and greater accountability. Press releases and press conferences are another form of communication, and are more for the aftermath of discussions in Cabinet or other meetings. Open Cabinet is a new concept in our province and in our country -- we are pleased with the kind of positive feedback we have been receiving.
Source: Waste Buster Website

You may have forgotten about the Waste Buster Website, but it is still up and running. Mike de Jong is the Minister responsible. If you look very carefully in the fine print on the bottom right side of the website for the Ministry of Labour and Citizens' Services, you'll see a link to the Waste Buster site. From the examples on the site, it looks like it hasn't been updated since 2002.

On the Premier's website there is still a link to open cabinet meetings although the last meeting was held January 26, 2005, the site announces: "The date of the next open cabinet meeting has not been set. It will be posted here as soon as it has been scheduled." It is no longer possible from the government website to view any news release prior to January 2005, but you can still go back and get the transcript of every open cabinet meeting since 2001.

Perhaps it's time for the government to admit that the staged events were a waste of time and money, do in the site and while they're at it they might want to pull the plug on the Waste Buster site.