Friday 19 June 2009

Redact that

FUTURE editions of these writings will be redacted (blacked out) in appropriate places to enable you, faithful reader, to enjoy protection from reading words that may compromise our good, decent, hard working politicians.

But seriously, or at least as seriously as one can take the expenses fiasco, a phrase comes to mind that includes the words horse, stable door and bolted.

To clarify: the Daily Telegraph snags an exclusive, reveals, in detail, the ridiculous and stupid lengths MPs across the board went to in order to claim a few extra quid.

Then, this week the House of Commons publishes all the MPs receipts, except they are redacted (blacked out to us mere plebs) to ensure security is not compromised, or some such feeble reason.

Again, the information has already reached an incredulous public. But the Commons decides to release a version with portions, many of the bits the public already knows about, blacked out. All this comes a year after MPs were told to publish and be damned by the Information Commissioner.

Will someone please tell these slow of thinking public representatives that going to such extreme lengths to prove themselves stupid is really not necessary. And, please, show them a dictionary and point to the word transparency.

No comments: