15 February 2008

Silence isn't golden

Neither the province's recycling board nor the environment minister will talk to CBC's Zach Goudie about paper recycling in St. John's.

Specifically, they won't talk about a request from the local recycler who'd been looking for $100,000 to fund the project.

The recycling board had a surplus of about $2.0 million last year so it isn't like they are short of cash.

More and more people are finding that the provincial government's communications people may have the word in their title, but it isn't in their job function.

In fact, as in the environment case, non-communication is the primary job or if it isn't a complete lack of response, it's a delayed, incomplete, super spun or generally useless response.

- Environment.

- Multi-Materials Stewardship Board.

- Public Service Commission.

- Innovation, Trade and Rural Development.

- Department of Health and Community Services and its subordinate bits.

- Attorney General on the privacy breach at the worker's compensation board.

One is an anomaly.

Two is curious.

Three is troubling.

Four is a trend.

Five or 10, as we have here?

That pretty much establishes obfuscation as government policy.

So much for "accountability" and "transparency".

-srbp-