The Conservatives say government and its information must be open by default..On Thursday, Conservative MP Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable) told the House of Commons that was the big promise that the prime minister made to Canadians in 2015.."Seven years later, that promise has melted away like snow on a sunny day," Berthold said.."We have never seen a government as closed off, as opaque or as quick to redact as the one led by this prime minister. We recently learned that the government has adopted 72 secret orders-in-council.".He then proceeded to ask the Speaker of the House why are the Liberals so afraid to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?.Liberal MP François-Philippe Champagne (Saint-Maurice—Champlain) responded by saying government has always made it a priority to be open and transparent with all Canadians while also taking care not to compromise national security. ."That is why, through the Investment Canada Act, we are ensuring that major investments and transactions benefit the Canadian economy, something I think all parliamentarians would agree with. Because of the confidentiality requirements of the act concerning the disclosure of certain information on specific and limited transactions, we will always protect national interests," Champagne told the House of Commons..Conservative MP Berthold then asked parliament if they wanted him to list more Liberal secrets?."There was SNC-Lavalin, the paid vacations, the WE Charity scandal, the Winnipeg lab documents. The Information Commissioner of Canada is receiving more complaints than ever before, and now the prime minister and his cabinet are keeping 72 decisions secret," Berthold said..“It is time to shine more light on government to make sure it remains focused on the people it was created to serve—you. Those were the prime minister's words in 2015.".Berthold continued to ask parliament when did Canadians stop being his priority?.The Liberals then responded by telling parliament that all "Canadians watching understand that their government has always been transparent."."We also have a responsibility as a government to protect national security. That is why, in certain circumstances, when it is in the national interest, we will continue to be transparent on every level. However, there are certain occasions when we must maintain confidentiality, in the national interest," Champlain concluded.
