The Opposition wants the Government to honour all requests for documents in accordance with the schedule set out in the Access to Information (ATI) Act.
Communications Director for the People’s National Party Colin Campbell says under the current law, the documents are available and the opposition has no issue in them being released according to ATI act.
A statement from the PNP says Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillips had said, the government ought to provide the documents now, as the law provides for it and it could not be changed retroactively.
The government has said the proposed extension of the period of exemption for Cabinet documents from 20 years to 70 years was triggered by a request for the minutes of cabinet meetings in 1975 and 1976 under the access to information act.
The PNP states that the ATI was passed in 2002 under a previous PNP-led administration to facilitate openness and transparency in governance. At that time, the access to cabinet documents was reduced to 20 years.
The party adds that it does not support any move in the opposite direction.
Mr. Campbell also said Opposition Leader Dr. Peter Phillips wished to clarify statements that he was aware that the ministerial order would come to the house on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Dr. Phillips said some weeks ago, the prime minister spoke to him on the margins of Gordon house, telling him the government intended to increase the period of exemption for cabinet documents from 20 years to 70 years.
It said Dr. Phillips immediately objected and told the prime minister that the period was too long.
According to the PNP, the Prime Minister immediately responded by saying it was the international standard.
However, the opposition says checks conducted subsequently, revealed that this was not the case as most commonwealth countries range between 20 and 30 years for such disclosures.
The opposition is insisting that the documents are available under the ATI as requested and it has no fear about the 1975/76 state of emergency, as the documents were already presented to the commission of enquiry in 1977.
The PNP statement says comments on a talk show by Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator Robert Morgan raise the issue of trust as never before a conversation between the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition behind the Speaker’s chair has become the subject of public releases and interviews.