New manager to maintain confidentiality – but who’s responsible for transparency?

AWARE Simcoe January 19 2011
A recent Simcoe County posting for a newly created $140,000-$168,000 manager’s position specifies as one of the duties: “Ensures confidentiality is maintained in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or other related and applicable legislation.”
Wouldn’t it be great to for a manager’s job description to include: “Ensures that the public is informed and involved…”

Openness and transparency are the primary thrust of the above-mentioned legislation, as well as of the Ontario Municipal Act, which allows confidentiality (it does not require it) in only a few restricted categories of information. Confidentiality is supposed to be the exception, not the rule.
It’s the old question of a glass half-empty / half-full. Which aspect of the legislation is emphasized is a sure indicator of how the institution is going to regard the public’s right to know.