Vexed Bermoothes

This is Sunshine Week and many countries around the world are focussing attention on Freedom of Information.

Here in Bermuda, we’ve had promises for enhanced “public access to information” for years, but progress has been slow. There is money in this year’s budget and Government has hinted that drafting instructions will soon be put before Cabinet.

In the spirit of transparency that is implied by PATI, let’s hope that legislation is reached through bipartisan efforts and is laid open for public comment and amendment before it hits the House. We should also solicit input from PATI specialists such as the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (as did Cayman with their law passed last year).

I think that David Burch is stuck in Bermuda’s destructive “you did it and now it’s my turn” rut with his comments that PATI is “foolishness.”

“We had more Press conferences and releases that year than you’ve ever held in your history.”

Senator Burch knows full well that PATI is not about what Government wants to tell the public. It is about what the public has a right to know.

Today’s PLP leaders will foster more long term respect by embracing this law – which, after all was championed by their party – and implementing it properly than by grimacing to the bitter end.