Mr. Speaker, there are awards and then there are awards.
Maclean’s has its Parliamentarian of the Year Awards currently under way, but did members know that the first of four prestigious awards for the code of silence has just been rolled out? This highly undesirable award is presented by four media groups.
One would think that the Finance Minister would be a shoo-in for this outstanding honour for most creative use of loopholes. However, this year's award goes to Ottawa's point man on access to information reform, the member for Kings—Hants, the President of the Treasury Board.
Congratulations for turning the Prime Minister's Office into a bastion of secrecy, free from the obligation to respond to pesky groups of citizens requesting information on how their tax dollars are being spent. Once and for all, congratulations.