Progressive Labour Party Senator Walton Brown has outlined his support for public access to information.

Sen. Brown also said opening up meetings of public bodies to the public could be a step in the right direction — as long as steps are made to avoid disclosing private and personal information.

He added that public reports currently kept behind closed doors — such as a probe into the safety of land at Southside where Agent Orange was allegedly burned — should be made publicly available unless there are compelling reasons not to.

Sen. Brown, a researcher who owns Bermuda Network News, spoke to The Royal Gazette about its A Right To Know: Giving People Power campaign, which wants to throw open the doors of Government and publicly funded groups to give the people of Bermuda access to information that shapes their lives.

This newspaper is calling for the Progressive Labour Party to restore public access to information legislation (PATI) to the top of its agenda and for Premier Ewart Brown to include a commitment in next month's Throne Speech to table a PATI bill in the House of Assembly this year.

Asked for his thoughts on the campaign, Sen. Brown said he supported access to information, but warned Government currently had more pressing needs than freedom of information legislation.

"As a researcher I always believe in access to information. Good information is a basis for sound decisions," said Sen. Brown.

"There's no public outcry for public access to information. This is one driven by the media. I'm not saying it's illegitimate to pursue it, but Government will quite rightly focus on the needs and aspirations of the people first.

"I think the principle has already been embraced by everyone, but the devil's in the details. There are clearly a number of more pressing needs to be sorted out than this legislation."

Told that frustrated members of the public often contact this newspaper to complain they are kept in the dark on important issues, Sen. Brown said: "In general to have access to information is a good thing. You need to have a very careful set-up to ensure that private information is not put into the public domain."

A Right To Know has pointed out how more than 100 publicly funded bodies hold their meetings behind closed doors, with only a couple releasing its minutes to the public.

Asked whether people should be allowed into such meetings, Sen. Brown said: "If we can have a system in place for clear separation of policy matters from personal matters, I think it could be a move in the right direction. I don't know how easily implemented that would be, but we can look at models elsewhere."

While researching constitutional reform in the 1990s, Sen. Brown helped shed light on how decisions were made in yesteryear by campaigning successfully for access to decades old letters from the Governor to the UK Government.

This newspaper has made numerous requests to see the Agent Orange report, commissioned by former Works Minister Dennis Lister last summer after US military veteran Ronald Slater claimed he burned the lethal defoliant at Kindley Air Force Base in the 1960s.

St. David's resident Gregory Fox this week vowed to continue pushing for it to be made public amid concerns for the health of himself and his family and neighbours. However, yet another request to the Ministry to see the report has gone unanswered this week.

Asked whether public reports should be made public, Sen. Brown replied: "Unless there are pressing reasons why it should not be made public. People need to be careful what they ask for — you don't want personal details about people coming out."

Other reports kept hidden despite our requests include Johns Hopkins' review of healthcare in Bermuda; S. Harris and Co's report on mould at CedarBridge Academy and other public schools; and annual reports for Bermuda Housing Corporation for 2003 and 2004.

Sen. Brown added that the current system, in which Opposition MPs can put Parliamentary questions to Government, and people can put questions through their own MPs, provided a "good flow of information to the public".

What are your thoughts on freedom of information? Have you been successful or unsuccessful trying to get information you believe you have a right to know? E-mail arighttoknow@royalgazette.bm, write a letter to the editor or call us on 278-0155 or 278-8359 to share your stories or let us know what you think of the campaign.