In plain language, if the document exists within a Prime Minister's Office or a minister's office, you can't have it. The fear, of course, is that governments use this provision as a cover to hide documents. If it's embarrassing, or potentially politically explosive, punt it upstairs to a minister's office and rest easy.
What's interesting about the appeal court ruling is that the government lawyers were arguing, not for Jean Chrétien and the Liberals, but for the new government, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. And this brings us to the delicious, startling and ironic aspect of this court case. Lawyers representing the Harper government are arguing that the government should keep secret the very records the old Reform Party's Laurie Throness was fighting for back in 1999. Perhaps this is why government lawyers refused requests for interviews after they argued their case before the Supreme Court of Canada yesterday.
Read more here.
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