‘ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS’
The public’s right to know is being thwarted at every turn by the Fentie government, says Steve Cardiff, the New Democratic Party’s leader in the Legislative Assembly.
“We began the sitting with a tribute to Right to Know Week, which ended October 1,” Cardiff says. “However, the people are no wiser today than they were when the fall sitting began thanks to this government’s failure to act in a transparent and accountable manner.”
Examples of the government’s failure to act in the public interest are many and the short list includes;
Its unwillingness to release the report of the Select Committee on Whistle-blower Protection in a timely manner;
Its opposition to reducing by 90 days the length of time a government has to call a byelection when a seat becomes vacant;
Its refusal to introduce lobbying legislation so the public knows who is trying to influence the government’s policy decisions;
Its lack of support for an NDP motion to create a commission to look at improving how appointments are made to government boards and committees; and
Its failure to appoint a government member to the Select Committee on Legislative Renewal.
“This government reminds me of the Aesop’s Fable titled The Boasting Traveller,” Cardiff notes. “An arrogant man was bragging about all the wonderful and clever things he had done. His audience began to grow tired of his constant boasting.
“’Once,’ he boasted, loudly, ‘when I was in Rhodes, I won a jumping competition. In fact, I jumped twice as far as any of the other competitors. And if you don’t believe me, go to Rhodes and ask the people there.’
“At this boast, a member of the audience stood up and stated, ‘If you can really jump that far, there is not need to go to Rhodes. You can jump here and prove it to us now.’
The moral of this story is simple: Actions speak louder than words.
“This government has been good at filibustering, dithering and obfuscating the issues but it has been slow to act,” Cardiff says. “At the end of the day, actions trump even the best of intentions every time.”