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LETTER: Records speak louder than words

Transparency depends on two things: government creating records of its decisions and the public being able to access those records in a timely manner.

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Without records, the public cannot know. Without timely access to those records, the public cannot hold government accountable.

I recently learned that reviews I filed in early 2019 under Prince Edward Island’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act have once again been delayed, this time until spring 2027. If that timeline holds, it will have taken approximately eight years simply to determine whether government records should have been disclosed.

Why does that matter?

Because access to information only has value when it is timely. During those eight years, governments change, officials retire, memories fade, and opportunities to correct mistakes or improve public policy are lost. Since........

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