Secrecy and democracy are incompatible concepts. Secrecy is the repository of evil. Democracy demands free and open discussion amongst citizens of a country. I consider secrecy within our government and within the governmental bureaucracy to be one of the greatest threats to the freedom of Canadians.

The Freedom of Information Act purports to provide Canadians with access to government documents which the government and bureaucrats wish to hide from the people. Why do we need a Freedom of Information Act at all? Is this not backwards? Politicians and government bureaucrats are supposed to be servants of the people and not vice versa!

I suggest that it is high time that Canadians demand that all government and bureaucratic documents be freely available to the general public. Should the politician or bureaucrat feel that it is in the overall interest of Canadians that a certain document be made secret, they should be required by law to appear and argue before a judicial court that the particular document be declared secret.

It is frightening that even the Freedom of Information Commissioner has accused the Liberal government of deliberately manipulating and withholding information from concerned Canadians. I would dearly love to have the input of readers on this subject.