Governments must stop hiding from voters
Editorial
Despite the disclaimers and preambles on websites, meeting agendas and backgrounders, touting governmental bodies’ devotion to transparency, accountability and the like, the attention governments pay to these traits is often lip-service, at best.
Having been out of the media business for a number of years, my return has provided me with a unique perspective in this regard. Because I remember how it used to be. How it should be. Of course, government has never been fully transparent – there’s always been that tendency on the part of both politicians and government departments to consider their “work” to be beyond the scope of the public. Never mind that without the public, the voters, they would not hold their lofty positions. They all need to remember what they owe to the public, the people who put them where they are, and act accordingly.
Things have changed in the last decade or two, some – thanks Covid – have made the workings of government more accessible to all. The fact that the City of Fort St. John, School District 60, and the Peace River Regional District all record their public meetings and put them on the internet is fantastic for improving transparency and accessibility. Especially since in the last few years, several of these bodies, along with the District of Taylor, have all moved their public meetings to take place on the same day, often at the same time.
Once upon a time, the school board meeting was at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. Taylor Council was at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. City Council was at 4:30 p.m. on Mondays. If one wanted, as the media did, one could attend all three in person. No recordings needed. Which was helpful since there were no recordings at that time.
Now, City Council is in the middle of the workday at 3 p.m. School Board is at a more reasonable time for public attendance at 5:30 p.m., but Taylor Council is at 5 p.m. – These meetings are all on Mondays. If city council runs over, one can’t make it to Taylor Council. If Taylor and the school board hold their meetings the same week, one has to wait two days to see the recording of the school board.
No doubt there’s some out there who think this is by design. Whether it is or not, it’s kind of a pain. How is government to know whether the people are interested in what they’re doing unless the public feels welcome to attend their meetings?
The group True Northern Voice are the only members of the public who seem to be able to attend all these meetings, as well as Peace River Regional District board meetings. They have made it their mission to hold government accountable, even though it seems their presence is not always welcome.
They’re not the only ones – if the last two meetings the PRRD board held in Fort St. John are any indication, the farmers, ranchers, and other landowners in the North Peace are determined to hold the regional government accountable.
The PRRD is not making it easy either. As local farmer Joyce Smith asked at the June 28 Special Committee of the Whole meeting at the North Peace Arena; “Why are these meetings not held in the evening like we asked?” Most people are working at 10 a.m. on a Wednesday, she said, adding that she’s tired of “non-transparency.”
To give the PRRD a bit of credit, their meetings do last all day. But when there is a special meeting held to address a particular public concern, shouldn’t it be held at a time and place where the voters, those who are affected by governmental decisions, can provide feedback, and gather information?
Like the consultations the City of Fort St. John held prior to the construction/revamp of 100th Street. Those were held during Covid when people were supposed to be a) social distancing; b) wearing masks; c) not allowed in public gathering spaces if they hadn’t taken the vaccine. A situation that’s not exactly conducive to gathering feedback from a wide cross-section of voters.
Then we have the provincial government. They’re about as transparent as mud.
Take the Overdose Prevention Site, for example. Or the Community Health Services Centre since that’s its official title. After consulting with the city and local businesses, Northern Health’s first proposed location was shot down. They came up with another plan, but instead of consulting again and risking more resistance, they simply went ahead. Using the 2016 Ministerial Order, which gives health authorities the ability to establish an OPS wherever they feel there is a need, no consultation necessary, they chose the former H&R Block location on 100th Avenue.
As one would expect, there was a public outcry. It took Northern Health two months to respond to the Chamber of Commerce’s suggestion of a community table. A table that was initially open by invitation only to a select group. It took a further two months for them to respond to SD60’s concerns.
Thanks to the Chamber, the community table is now open to any business or service in the downtown core which may be impacted by the OPS. The Chamber made this happen, not the government. The Chamber is made up of local businesspeople. Businesspeople who vote. Of course, as Northern Health isn’t an elected body which answers to the voters, they might find the public’s desire for transparency irrelevant.
Except that it is relevant. They’re responsible for our health, and the maintenance of health services in our community. Like the PRRD is responsible for its decisions which affect farmers and ranchers, these NHA decisions should be transparent. How they came to these decisions should also be transparent.
People need to show up and make their voices heard. Elected officials shouldn’t be reluctant to welcome public feedback. Meetings on sensitive subjects, like downtown crime, Treaty Land Sharing, safe injection sites etc., should be held at times when everyone concerned can attend if they wish.
Elected officials shouldn’t be hiding from the public – people are going to think they have something to hide if they do. You ran for your positions to serve the community, to better the community you serve, not be Lord and Master of all you survey.