Gathering stuff

Further to the 53 North report, this comment by Wabush Town Councillor Terry Curran was kind of interesting:

“Laying chipseal over gravel is also a common practice, and it holds up well. The areas of road that we see cracking and heaving on now are areas of single chipseal. From what I gather, the double chipseal is holding up quite well.”

This follows a report last fall out of Happy Valley-Goose Bay Council, as covered by the Labradorian on October 2:

Council is still waiting on a report from the province about which sort of chip seal is best for paving the Trans Labrador Highway. “At this point, we don't know what the report says,” said Councilor Dean Clarke. “We were supposed to have it months ago. What's the big secret?”

What is the big secret?

There should be nothing left for Councillor Curran to “gather”. After all, the Danny Williams Regime Administration is the one which came into office on the following lofty words:

Above all else, a government must be accountable and responsive to the people... In particular, financial accountability and transparency is critical to any successful and effective government.

The Transparency and Accountability Act will greatly enhance openness and accountability in government, but a comprehensive and effective Freedom of Information Act is the best safeguard against the tendency of governments to descend into official secrecy and elitism.

A Progressive Conservative government will:

• Proclaim new Freedom of Information legislation which will include amendments that will clearly identify information that should be in the public domain, including cabinet documents, and will require full and prompt disclosure of the information to the public.
  
• Release to the public every government-commissioned report within 30 days of receiving it, indicate the action government will take on a report's recommendations within 60 days, and ensure prompt public access to all government reports in hard copy and on the Internet.

The TLH chip-seal report is a government-commissioned report.

Why is it being treated like a nuclear secret?