WINNIPEG: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) will be participating in events this week in celebration of Right to Know week. Right to Know week has been proclaimed by the cities of Thompson, Brandon and the government of Manitoba in recognition of citizens' right to access information held by public bodies and is celebrated in over 60 nations around the world.

"The CTF commends the provincial government and cities of Brandon and Thompson for recognizing such an important event and Manitoban's basic right to access taxpayer funded information," stated CTF Manitoba director Adrienne Batra. "Unfortunately, we as citizens still have a difficult time obtaining information from government that should be routinely disclosed such as cabinet minister's expenses, water quality records and contracts the government signs with businesses."

This year's theme for Right to Know week is active disclosure and impressing upon governments that it is in their best interest to routinely make documents, rather than citizens having to go through a lengthy process of filing FIPPA requests. "Last year the provincial government committed to being more transparent with publishing Orders in Council and cabinet minister's expenses online, to date, we are not even half way there," added Batra.

Along with the Winnipeg Sun, the Provincial Council of Women, Manitoba Ombudsman, the Winnipeg Free Press, Canadian Association of Journalists and the Manitoba Bar Association, the CTF is sponsoring a panel on October 2, 2007 at 11:45 a.m. at Portage Place shopping centre, where the topic of discussion will be routine disclosure. These organizations, along with the University of Winnipeg will also be bringing in one of Canada's leading advocates on routine disclosure of information, Canada's former Information and Privacy Commissioner John Reid. Mr. Reid will be speaking on the topic, "Twenty Years Later: The Increasing Importance of Access to Information Legislation."

"We as citizens must demand from our government transparency and accountability, particularly at a time when secrecy appears to the order of the day," concluded Batra.

Manitoba's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) came into affect in 1998.