Secrecy bill delay welcomed

The following article was published on line by the East Coast Radio

Advocacy group, Right 2 Know says the decision to extend the deadline of the Protection of Information Bill from today until the end of September, will allow for more public debate on the issue.

The group is hoping that government will re-look at the proposed bill after hosting public meetings to find out civil society’s concerns about the law.

Spokesperson, Murray Hunter says, “This is not a bill that was drafted by accident. It’s the nation’s spies who are drafting a bill that will greatly increase their power to manage their affairs and the rest of government and to keep information out of the public domain.”

He says it is important that people are informed about the bill and its implications before it is passed. Hunter feels the info bill, which aims to allow government to declare most documents and files classified, will violate key aspects of our constitution.

He says, “The point is to send a really strong message to the ministry to say ‘hands off the democracy.’ Please stop interfering in the parliamentary process let the parliament deal with it and let them meet our demands now.”