Millions of dollars have already been spent by the participants of the Red Hill Valley Parkway Inquiry. Yet, after two years of further delay the City of Hamilton, which could be held responsible for the hiding of an engineering report, now wants to hide some documents and wants the decision to be made behind closed doors.
After two years of silence the Red Hill Valley Parkway (RHVP) Inquiry has recommenced with an attempt by the City of Hamilton to keep back certain documents. No one will know what those documents are because the decision to withhold will be made “in camera” or behind closed doors, as noted on the Commission’s website below:
“Update March 30, 2022
The City of Hamilton has delivered a notice of motion for directions. The motion asks the Commissioner to appoint a designate to determine whether or not certain documents are protected by a form of legal privilege and, therefore, the City need not produce them to the Inquiry. The City is also asking the Commissioner to direct the designate to hear the motion in camera and that any motion materials be filed with redactions to protect information that may be privileged.
If any members of the media or public wish to make submissions to the Commissioner about the motion for directions, please contact lead Commission Counsel Robert A. Centa at [email protected] no later than noon on April 6, 2022.”
How would anyone know whether to object to this proceeding without knowing something about what documents are to be held secret? How would anyone know whether to object if there is no information about who the “designate” will be? It can be noted that the City of Hamilton created the Commission in the first place and they placed limits/controls on how it would operate. Yet the City of Hamilton could be one of the entities held at fault for concealing engineering reports about the possible sub-standard conditions of the RHVP. By this time almost all Hamilton citizens will have gone off to “more interesting” topics of the day, guaranteeing that no public outcry would occur even if there is something nefarious occurring.
You must be logged in to post a comment.