Spin. Duck and Cover. Our Mayor forgets again.

Well, according to Chuck Scarpelli, the City’s Freedom of Information Officer, I should have received a response to my FOI request today. 

And guess what?  I did not.  Unless I’m mistaken, today is November 30th – the day I was assured I would receive an answer.  The Municipal Freedom of Information Act requires that the city respond to any request within 30 days of the request.

Ironcially as well today, we read in the Star Mayor Francis has done a complete 360 on confidentiality clauses.  Gee, Mayor Francis, when I asked for transparency I did not anticipate seeing the motivation of our elected officials become transparent.  But I digress.

It’s called damage control.  Spin.  Duck and cover.

Today, Francis is calling for an end to confidentiality agreements – sort of.

“With regards to moving forward, I think one of the easiest ways to deal with this is to put a provision into the agreements that we will follow the Freedom of Information Act rules and whatever the FOI rules, that will be the test,” Francis said during a meeting with The Windsor Star’s editorial board. “

So you mean let the Privacy Commissioner deal with the interpretation – and the only way that is going to happen is if someone files a Freedom of Information request!  Um, hate to say this Mr. Francis, but you are supposed to follow the requirements of the Municipal Freedom of Information Act.

Perhaps our dear Mayor has forgotten (yet again) what he said only 1 month ago:

“Francis cited confidential agreements with private companies as his reason to withhold the information….Francis said the per square footage rate can’t be released without permission of the third party — in this case the city’s subtenants. “It’s not rules that I make up,” Francis said.

Francis said if the city did not guarantee privacy for the new Canderel tenants, it wouldn’t have been able to strike a deal and would have continued losing $1 million a year for empty office space. “

So really, Mr. Francis re-iterated the city’s commitment to following the Municipal Freedom of Information Act.   That is not transparency, with all due respect, because I would still have to file a request for information, and then make an appeal for the FOI to be tested!

By the way, if the city is suddenly all about respecting the MFOIA, why have my 30 days passed without a response?  

Oh, and Mr. Francis, why were you meeting with the Star’s editorial board on this issue? Or is that normal practise for a city mayor?