It’s hard to know what’s going on inside the hallowed halls of government these days. After the Guardian published a front-page article informing the public that the King government must appear before the PEI Supreme Court on February 6 to explain why it first broke the FOIP Act, and then ignored a Supreme Court Order to turn over those e-gaming documents to Paul Maines, as per the terms of a Consent Order signed by Paul Maines, the Information and Privacy Commissioner (Karen Rose) and the Deputy Minister of Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture, Erin McGrath-Gaudet, well, you’d think things would be improving. They’re not.
Maines has 4 Court Orders against the PEI government on four separate FOIP requests for which the King government is refusing to release e-gaming documents. Last week, I reported that there was now a 5th FOIP request for which the Dennis King Government is breaking the law.
I’m sad to report that there is now a 6th deemed refusal “non-response” from the King government, with another one of my FOIP requests. That request, as well as the letter I sent to the Information and Privacy Commissioner, Karen Rose, this morning, are included below.
As more has been discovered in the investigation, these last FOIP requests have been very focused on getting additional documentation pertaining specifically to those “cover-up” things that have come to the light of day. I expect there are lots of new bombs ready to go off in those documents, and I’m starting to think one may have a nuclear warhead!
There must be some truly shocking information in those e-gaming documents for the newly-elected Premier – who so forcefully promised so recently to finally deliver true transparency and access to information to Islanders – to have made a name for himself, in such a short time, as the Premier who rules as if PEI had no Freedom of Information Act at all.
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Good for you, Kevin.