It is now more than ten years since the federal government of Canada passed the Access to Information and Privacy Acts, milestone legislation which altered how government operates in Canada, in ways which are now essentially irreversible. Similar legislation is now in place in most provinces and in many local governments as well. It is a measure of the success of this legislation that we now take it largely for granted, and that access has been incorporated into the daily operation of government in jurisdictions where such legislation is in force.
At the same time, a major shift has occurred in Canada, as in the other western nations, in public perception of the role of the state. Government has come to be perceived as wasteful and inefficient. It is more often seen as the source of our economic and social ills, than as a font of solutions. Politicians and civil servants, faced with empty coffers and a restive citizenry, are seeking to slim down, become less bureaucratic, more service-oriented, more businesslike.
In this climate, not surprisingly, governments come to look upon information in their control as a corporate asset: agencies are encouraged to sell information at market value (which is generally less than they imagine), to seek cost recovery (always a disappointing exercise), and to establish partnerships with industry. The new information technologies, when added to this brew, may increase or decrease public access to information, depending how they are implemented.
The paradoxes of the present situation are not lost upon the policy makers, who are seeking a compromise between alternatives which are not entirely compatible.
Meanwhile, libraries, the information industry, and groups representing such end users as lawyers, journalists, consumers, academics, have pursued their separate interests. In the past, such groups talked within their ranks and with government, but rarely with other groups or organizations. That changed in December 1992, with the National Summit on Information Policy. The Summit, of itself, produced little in the way of direct results. But for the first time in Canada, a wide range of people and groups with an interest in government information (as well as other topics falling under information policy) sat down together and exchanged views. The Summit has left its progeny, directly or indirectly, in the coalitions born of shared interest: the Coalition for Public Information, the Campaign for Open Government, and others.
The change has been dramatic: where before there were bi-lateral discussions between government and individual groups, there is now a noisy multi-lateralism, as players form alliances, shift position, and engage in hand to hand combat. Such a change could represent for government loss of power and a crisis of legitimacy. From a more positive perspective, multi-lateralism encourages players to take responsibility for finding common ground, rather than leaving the job to policy makers. Whether participants in the present debates have the political maturity to do so, or indeed whether compromise can be sufficiently visionary, remains to be seen. In a recent profile in New Yorker, media chief John Malone comments that in the future, business relationships will get more complicated: "Virtually everybody who is not on your team or in your company will be both a friend and a competitor."1 Maybe the same can be said about the business of government information, as government, end users, information industry, and librarians form a variety of alliances, based on an ever changing set of issues and objectives.
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION IN CANADA/INFORMATION GOUVERNEMENTALE AU CANADA is intended to contribute to these discussions, and to provide a forum where all sectors and all points of view may be represented. We invite contributions from anyone with an interest in the subject. There is room for a range of articles, both in form and content, including opinion pieces, as well as those which are strictly informational.
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION IN CANADA/INFORMATION GOUVERNEMENTALE AU CANADA will be published quarterly, and in electronic format. Why have we chosen to go electronic? The short answer, is that the journal would not otherwise be possible. Electronic publishing makes a significant part of the work (and cost) of a journal, in particular printing and distribution, essentially trivial. It is unlikely that the market in Canada can support a full-scale, conventional, paper journal in this area. Moreover, it is unclear who might publish such a journal. Traditionally, professional and scholarly associations have sponsored journal publications, but where is the association which spans the range of sectors which we invite to participate? Alternatively, such a project might be undertaken by the private sector, although it is telling (and confirming of the statement above) that no company has looked at the market and felt it worth pursuing. It is perhaps appropriate to the increasingly uncertain and amorphous world of electronic information, that this journal cannot derive legitimacy from its affiliations, but is dependent strictly upon the quality of its contents and the integrity of the editorial process.
We are strongly committed to entertaining the widest range of opinion. Other aspects may be open to experimentation. We wish to encourage letters and responses to articles, as well as original contributions. The frequency of publication may be open to review, and will depend in part upon the volume and timeliness of material accepted for publication. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION IN CANADA/INFORMATION GOUVERNEMENTALE AU CANADA is not a peer reviewed journal, however all articles submitted for publication will be reviewed by the editorial board. We welcome comment and advice, which may be sent to the editor or to any member of the editorial board.
Finally, I wish to thank the University of Saskatchewan for support in this project and Rose Rode for technical assistance.
Andrew Hubbertz, Editor