The most wonderful time of the year

Ahhh. Late September. Corn on the cob. Redberries. And openness and accountability.

Yes, folks, it’s already Right to Know Week again. Break out the party hats. Bake cupcakes. And get ready to smash the living snot out of that piñata filled with five-dollar cheques made out to Receiver General for Canada and Newfoundland Exchequer Fund.

Of course, it will be impossible to beat RtKW 2008, which was replete with birch rind, tar twine, cherry wine and turpentine, ticker tape, go-go dancers, fireworks, pie-eating competitions, doggie dancing and — OK, maybe none of that stuff actually happened, but at least RtKW was marked by a Minister of the Crown issuing a press release.

The Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, today acknowledged September 28 - October 3 as Right to Know Week in Newfoundland and Labrador. Right to Know Week is internationally recognized as a period to celebrate democracy, affirm the public’s right to access information held by government and acknowledge openness and transparency within the public sector.

Unfortunately, certain other events last year cast a shadow of hilarious irony over the festivities.

It is probably the potential for additional hilarious irony, stemming from certain recent developments, that has led the executive branch of government to defer to an officer of the Legislature to officially note the happy occasion this year.

Happy Right to Know Week!