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The Brussels Post, 1977-02-23, Page 2WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1977 BRUSSELS ONTARIO Serving Brussels and the surrounding community.. Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario by McLean Bros. Publishers, Limited. Evelyn Kennedy Editor Dave Robb Advertising Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and ABC Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $8.00 a year. Others Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association *CNA $14.00 a year, Single Copies 20 cents each. Brussels Post On secrecy Trying hard Amen by Karl Schuessler Hurray for David From time to time this newspaper has chided local governments and politicians for their tendency to do public business in private. That previous criticism notwithstanding, we'd like to say that another level of government has the what-we're-doing-is-none-of your-business, all tied up by a country mile. We're referring to the Government of Canada. Of course, the Government of Ontario is no slacker in the • top secrets sweepstakes either. An NDP members of the Legislature, Donald S. MacDonald, has been trying, for years to get a freedom of information act through Queen's Park. But the feds keep a really tight rein on how much citizens and the press are allowed to know about what they are doing. As a Canadian citizen you have a right to information about what your government is doing, as long as it isn't about things that might affect national security or personal information about someone else. Right? . Wrong. Our Federal government is under no obligation to release information about anything to anyone because Canada doesn't have a freedom of information act. Under Canadian law, all government information is automatically secret and citizens have to make a pretty good case in order to get reports from government departments, copies of research studies, or just about anything. Under the Freedom of Information Act that exists in the United States, the government there has to prove that certain information should remain private, otherwise it's all available to the public. In our country things are the other way around. . .our governments, through the years, have assumed that most of their internal documents are private and have only given the public access to them if they want to. There has been no obligation to do so. Private citizens and the .press would like to have access to information enshrined as a right, both to expose situations that may exist and to prevent high handed dealing in the future. MP's too, even some Liberal MP's, complain that they often can't get information from government departments, because some cautious bureaucrat has degreed that it is secret. The government has resisted pressure for an information act by saying that it is answerable to the public through members of' parliament. But that argument breaks down when you understand that even an MP may be powerless to get information, for a constituent or for himself. The Canadian Bar. Association has joined the parliamentary voices Who have been calling for some time for a freedom of information act. When most of the country's lawyers are worried about abuses caused by excessive g6ernment setrecy, we believe it's time for the rest of us to be worried too. Information that's being collected on behalf of those Who govern us, So that they can do a better job at it, (and that is what government is' there fOr isn't it?) should be public information. It's as' simple as that. I like David. My wife likes David. My boys like David. My daughter Sarah likes David. And most of all, Laura likes David. David is the big Valentine's romance around our house. We've all taken a fancy to Laura's fiance. It's official now -- this engagement of Laura and David. It's been unofficial for at least a month now. People haveexpected, suspected and expressed it ever since Christmas. Why, people have been coming up to David and congratulating him on his engagement since New Year's. But that's the way things go in the country. News breaks before it happens. As a newsman I like to think I report things as they happen. But in the country, they report things before they happen. And with all the rumours flying, what can a young couple do? But accommodate and make things happen. I like the idea of having a new son-in-law, •having a do-it-yourself son-in- law. None of those years of feeding and caring and bringing him up. None of this borrowing the car, taking out enough car insurance, getting in on time, or expecting a certain amount of work around the house. No, none of that. He's !here. ArrivedTHe's all done. Instant son. But there are a few things we have to get straight, David. For one thing, just call me "Dad". I know it may sound strange at first, but I'm breaking you in a few months early. I'm putting you on a head-start program. I've learned my lesson with our daughter-in-law. I never put her through the pre-marriage paces of saying "Dad". Aid it shows. Why, it took her over three months after the wedding to say that Magid word. And she's only said it once. I had to work real hard to get it , too. I made her repeat practically every sentence she ever said to me. Waiting. Hoping. Listening for not the period of the sentence, but fot the comma, and the word "Dad" at the end. "Would you say that again, Anne?" I persisted, "Would you try that question over agaih, Anne. I think you forgot something." I hope you'll understand, David. I'm ready to settle for Dad--right now. I know for some months you've wanted .me to say "Call me Karl". But I never have, have I ? I told you once to forget about all that Mr. and Sir business. That left you with about nothing to call me. And nothing is exactly what I got. But I knew what I was doing, David. You can skip-right over Karl and hop right into Dad. Hear, hear, David. I just heard you laugh and say "Granddad". None of that, David. You're rushing things. That's another thing I want to get straight. My father told it to me and now I'm telling it to you. He shook his finger at my wife-to-be and Me and said, "Remember, grandpas come nine months after the wedding -- no sooner".Okay? And another thing. She's all over to you, David. For years we've pajamaed and prayered her. Sent her off to Sunday School. Straightened her teeth. Gave her piano lesson.s Loaned her the car. Lent her my Charges card. Ate her burnt chocolate chip cookies. Bought her grade 13 textbooks. Offered her a job. Now it's your turn. It's all over to you. Another thing. You're lucky , David. I don't know one thing about farming. You won't have to suffer through all my good advice on farming. I don't even know the vocabulary. I'm the one who talks about raising corn and growing cows. I'm the one who thinks a disc is something in my back. And Plymouth Rock is where the Pilgrims landed. And one last thing.I 'm glad we're going _ to have another Presbyterian in the house. We have on already, you know--that no -nonsense Presbyterian clothes dryer I bought from Jack Isaac. It's doing a terrific job warming Our clothes--just right. And you're doing a terrific job at warming our hearts -- just right, too. All I can say is Hooray for the Presbyterians, Hooray for the Scot's! Hooray for the warmth Hooray for lovel And most of all, Hooray for David Drummond!