--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As opposition leader, [Stephen Harper]…" description: "\"“As opposition leader, [Stephen Harper] wrote in the Montreal Gazette in the year before he came to power: 'Information is the lifeblood of a democracy..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/lawrence-martin-40750_access-to-informatio_as-opposition-leader-stephen-harper-wrot_1717755.jpg" --- # As opposition leader, \[Stephen Harper\] wrote in the… ![“As opposition leader, [Stephen Harper] wrote in the Montreal Gazette in the year before he came to power: 'Information is the lifeblood of a democracy. Without adequate access to key information about government policies and programs, citizens and parliamentarians cannot make informed decisions…” quote by Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/lawrence-martin-40750_access-to-informatio_as-opposition-leader-stephen-harper-wrot_1717755.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/lawrence-martin-40750_access-to-informatio_as-opposition-leader-stephen-harper-wrot_1717755.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/lawrence-martin-40750_access-to-informatio_as-opposition-leader-stephen-harper-wrot_1717755.jpg) > ““As opposition leader, \[Stephen Harper\] wrote in the Montreal Gazette in the year before he came to power: 'Information is the lifeblood of a democracy. Without adequate access to key information about government policies and programs, citizens and parliamentarians cannot make informed decisions and incompetent or corrupt governments can be hidden under a cloak of secrecy.' When he became prime minister, his attitude appeared to undergo a shift of considerable proportions. It often took the Conservatives twice as long as previous governments to handle access requests. Sometimes it took six months to a year.”” [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Access to governmental information is essential for democracy; delays in providing it can conceal incompetence and corruption. **In simple terms:** Transparency is vital for democracy. Key Takeaway Demand timely access to public data. Themes democracy transparency government accountability information Mood analytical critical Type political informative When to use this quote - journalism - civic activism - legislative oversight - public advocacy Key Concepts political science public policy media studies Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens enforce information rights? - What mechanisms ensure accountability? A Different Perspective Political realities may limit full transparency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Access to information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access-to-information/) [Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canada/) [Canadian government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canadian-government/) [Canadian-politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canadian-politics/) [Censorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/censorship/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Prime minister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prime-minister/) [Secrecy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrecy/) [Stephen-harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stephen-harper/) ## Related quotes > [“Bill C-9 was supposed to be a budget bill, but it came with innumerable measures that had little or nothing to do with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/bill-c-9-was-supposed-to-be-a-budget-bill-but-it-came-with/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [“In the run-up to the election, Stephen Harper had rolled out the rhetoric on the need for clean and transparent government, expressing frustration with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/in-the-run-up-to-the-election-stephen-harper-had-rolled-out-the/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [“The real power in Ottawa, as in Washington, is in the executive branch. At the White House, there are daily briefings for reporters. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/the-real-power-in-ottawa-as-in-washington-is-in-the-executive-branch/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [“Attempts to thwart or muzzle the media continued as well. At a conservative caucus meeting in Charlottetown in August 2007, journalists assembled in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/attempts-to-thwart-or-muzzle-the-media-continued-as-well-at-a/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [ “For \[Stephen\] Harper, a national daycare plan bordered on being a socialist scheme, a phrase he had once used to describe the Kyoto Protocol… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/for-stephen-harper-a-national-daycare-plan-bordered-on-being-a/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [ “The conservatives had started bringing demagoguery to the table on the \[Afghan\] war issue the previous fall \[fall 2006\]. Whenever opposition members criticized the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/the-conservatives-had-started-bringing-demagoguery-to-the-table-on/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [ “\[Stephen\] Harper had said he would use all legal means, and what \[John\] Baird suggested was an option the prome minister was considering. If… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/stephen-harper-had-said-he-would-use-all-legal-means-and-what-john/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [ “Earlier in \[2007\] the \[Prime Minister's Office\] had also drawn criticism for trying to muzzle the judiciary. The reproach came from Antonio Lamer, the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/earlier-in-2007-the-prime-minister-s-office-had-also-drawn-criticism/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [ “\[Harper\] once told a friend, "I think about strategy twenty-four hours a day," and it was only a small exaggeration.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/harper-once-told-a-friend-i-think-about-strategy-twenty-four-hours-a/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [I have many times made public information that the government wanted to keep secret, information that the public has a right to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/i-have-many-times-made-public-information-that-the-government-wanted/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [Companies should be able to share specific threat information with the government without the prospect of lawsuits hanging over their head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/companies-should-be-able-to-share-specific-threat-information-with/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [I would like to see transparency become the default for the American government: Abolish the Freedom of Information Act so we don't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-jarvis/i-would-like-to-see-transparency-become-the-default-for-the-american/) [Jeff Jarvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-jarvis/) > [Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets have a great deal of information about all of us - and the government wants to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cohen/twitter-facebook-and-other-social-media-outlets-have-a-great-deal-of/) [Adam Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cohen/) > [WikiLeaks has been a very strong proponent of the Freedom of Information Act. This is probably, actually, if you think about it, probably against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/wikileaks-has-been-a-very-strong-proponent-of-the-freedom-of/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [In Washington, the accepted method for passing along information about how the government fails to meet real-world needs is to leak it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/in-washington-the-accepted-method-for-passing-along-information-about/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) ## More by Lawrence Martin > [ “The conservatives had started bringing demagoguery to the table on the \[Afghan\] war issue the previous fall \[fall 2006\]. Whenever opposition members criticized the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/the-conservatives-had-started-bringing-demagoguery-to-the-table-on/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [“Bill C-9 was supposed to be a budget bill, but it came with innumerable measures that had little or nothing to do with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/bill-c-9-was-supposed-to-be-a-budget-bill-but-it-came-with/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [ “\[Stephen\] Harper had said he would use all legal means, and what \[John\] Baird suggested was an option the prome minister was considering. If… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/stephen-harper-had-said-he-would-use-all-legal-means-and-what-john/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [ “\[Harper\] once told a friend, "I think about strategy twenty-four hours a day," and it was only a small exaggeration.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/harper-once-told-a-friend-i-think-about-strategy-twenty-four-hours-a/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [ “Earlier in \[2007\] the \[Prime Minister's Office\] had also drawn criticism for trying to muzzle the judiciary. The reproach came from Antonio Lamer, the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/earlier-in-2007-the-prime-minister-s-office-had-also-drawn-criticism/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [ “For \[Stephen\] Harper, a national daycare plan bordered on being a socialist scheme, a phrase he had once used to describe the Kyoto Protocol… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/for-stephen-harper-a-national-daycare-plan-bordered-on-being-a/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [“Attempts to thwart or muzzle the media continued as well. At a conservative caucus meeting in Charlottetown in August 2007, journalists assembled in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/attempts-to-thwart-or-muzzle-the-media-continued-as-well-at-a/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [“The real power in Ottawa, as in Washington, is in the executive branch. At the White House, there are daily briefings for reporters. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/the-real-power-in-ottawa-as-in-washington-is-in-the-executive-branch/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) > [“In the run-up to the election, Stephen Harper had rolled out the rhetoric on the need for clean and transparent government, expressing frustration with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-martin/in-the-run-up-to-the-election-stephen-harper-had-rolled-out-the/) [Lawrence Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) [Explore all 10 Lawrence Martin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-martin/) ## More Access to information quotes > [Schools have never been about getting access to information. That's the job of libraries. Schools and universities have nobler missions as gentle gatekeepers. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/schools-have-never-been-about-getting-access-to-information-that-s/) Andrew Nikiforuk > [Technology, and applications of this technology, will continue to improve and evolve, providing unprecedented, global access to information, individuals, training, and opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-webb/technology-and-applications-of-this-technology-will-continue-to/) [Maynard Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-webb/) > [There is a difference between having access to information and having the savvy it takes to interpret it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-stoll/there-is-a-difference-between-having-access-to-information-and-having/) [Clifford Stoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-stoll/) > [I want people in all the government agencies to be communicating with people because for me, we're in an era - which didn't exist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-want-people-in-all-the-government-agencies-to-be-communicating-with/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pravin-lal/beware-of-he-who-would-deny-you-access-to-information-for-in-his/) Pravin Lal > [Librarians consider free access to information the foundation of democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-johnson/librarians-consider-free-access-to-information-the-foundation-of/) [Marilyn Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-johnson/) > [I dream of a Digital India where access to Information knows no barriers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/i-dream-of-a-digital-india-where-access-to-information-knows-no/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [But libraries are about freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication. They are about education (which is not a process that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/but-libraries-are-about-freedom-freedom-to-read-freedom-of-ideas/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [We must remember that democracy works when given time to develop, mature and deliver. People must have access to information for informed debate. Government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/we-must-remember-that-democracy-works-when-given-time-to-develop/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [Complete and accurate surveillance as a means of control is probably a practical impossibility. What is much more likely is a loss of privacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-c-ferkiss/complete-and-accurate-surveillance-as-a-means-of-control-is-probably/) Victor C. Ferkiss > [With enough of us, around the world, we'll not just send a strong message opposing the privatization of knowledge - we'll make it a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-swartz/with-enough-of-us-around-the-world-we-ll-not-just-send-a-strong/) [Aaron Swartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-swartz/) > [Everybody is looking at their base business and saying, "What else is it? Sure, we do this, but while we're doing that, what else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-moelis/everybody-is-looking-at-their-base-business-and-saying-what-else-is/) [Ken Moelis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-moelis/) > [America is the most inventive country in the world. Why? Because everybody has access to information. In the Soviet Union it was illegal to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/america-is-the-most-inventive-country-in-the-world-why-because/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [We have to make sure whenever you are dealing with big things like global warming, world security, refugees, the E.U. question, access to information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/birgitta-jonsdottir/we-have-to-make-sure-whenever-you-are-dealing-with-big-things-like/) [Birgitta Jonsdottir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/birgitta-jonsdottir/) > [New possibilities for a more active democracy are beginning to emerge in the information age. Effective citizen action is possible if citizens develop the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-boyte/new-possibilities-for-a-more-active-democracy-are-beginning-to-emerge/) Harry Boyte [Browse all 41 Access to information quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access-to-information/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As opposition leader, [Stephen Harper] wrote in the Montreal Gazette in the year before he came to power: 'Information is the lifeblood of a democracy. Without adequate access to key information about government policies and programs, citizens and parliamentarians cannot make informed decisions and incompetent or corrupt governments can be hidden under a cloak of secrecy.' When he became prime minister, his attitude appeared to undergo a shift of considerable proportions. It often took the Conservatives twice as long as previous governments to handle access requests. 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