The Royal Gazette's A Right to Know: Giving People Power campaign is calling for public access to information (PATI) legislation and the opening up of publicly funded bodies.

This newspaper has asked for a commitment to PATI in today's Throne Speech. Government has already produced a discussion (or green) paper on the topic but a bill has yet to be drafted. This week we asked every MP if they supported the idea of a public access to information law. Here's how they replied:

John Barritt (UBP): Yes

"I have been in favour of opening up the system and bringing about more transparency for some time now and so has the United Bermuda Party. That position has come about largely because of our time on the Opposition bench."

Nelson Bascome (PLP): Not sure

"Information is information but what information are you looking for? At the end of the day how do we let the public into meetings by the Bermuda Hospitals Board where they are discussing physicians licensing or a patient's information."

Glenn Blakeney (PLP): Possibly

"I think it's something that needs to be examined in the public interest. But it cannot be looked at outside the confines of a holistic approach because it needs to be extremely relevant to the context of Bermuda. We are still maturing, we are still evolving and we just can't because it sounds good and looks good."

Ewart Brown (PLP): No comment.

Dr. Brown's press secretary told us he had nothing new to add at the moment. Dr. Brown said in December: "I support legislation which grants the public the right to access public information. Our record will show that PATI legislation is something we have previously examined and we plan to keep it in play during our next term."

Derrick Burgess (PLP): No comment

"As a member of Cabinet, we haven't discussed it yet. It would be inappropriate for me to make a comment when we haven't discussed it yet. (It is) inappropriate for me to say anything because we have collective responsibility."

Dale Butler (PLP): No comment.

"The Premier will respond."

Neletha Butterfield (PLP): No comment

Shawn Crockwell (UBP): Yes

"I certainly support legislation that would allow access to public bodies, the decisions that they make and how they came to make them. I think there are certain things that need to remain confidential but I think it's important in this day and age that the public are able to ascertain for themselves what the Government is doing and what Government bodies are doing on their behalf."

Zane DeSilva (PLP): No comment.

Ashfield DeVent (PLP): Yes

"In principle I think it's been clear that the party has expressed that they are in favour of it and I support that. It's now simply for it to be defined clearly and we can go from there. I'm in favour of transparency all the way around and with that in mind I hope we would no longer see letters to the editor (of The Royal Gazette) without their name signed or articles from 'anonymous'. If The Royal Gazette is pushing for transparency they have to set the example."

Lovitta Foggo (PLP): No comment

"I'm not able to give you a position. I still need to meet and find out the party position, the government position. I guess it will come up in caucus."

Wayne Furbert (UBP): Yes

"I fully support access to information, fully support it, and if the Government brings it we will support it. We definitely support a more open government. I will vote for it. It's something the United Bermuda Party should have done when we were in government."

Grant Gibbons (UBP): Yes

"Transparency makes sure Government departments are spending money in the way it is intended to be spent. It provides a more up-to-date deterrent. If Government as a whole understands there will be questions asked, people are kept more on their toes. Transparency would give the public a more immediate sense that their money is being well spent."

Patricia Gordon-Pamplin (UBP): Yes

"It's something that we are very passionate about. We really are concerned that there is a level of good governance and good governance would dictate that people who are being affected and asked to pay taxes have the right to know how their money is being spent."

Donte Hunt (UBP): Yes

"That's like a no-brainer response for me. I support it 100 per cent. Freedom of information is something that brings any nation to a level of democracy where people can know what's going on."

Louise Jackson (UBP): Yes

"I support public access to information. My biggest problem with the lack of information is that this Government commissions reports on all kinds of subjects, then we never hear about them again."

Stanley Lowe (PLP): No comment

"I wouldn't really have any comment on that, not at this point."

Trevor Moniz (UBP): Yes

"I support transparency and accountability. I fought for it for long enough with the MPs' Register of Interests. (PATI has) been done in most jurisdictions now. I would certainly support that. I'm not a great one in favour of secrecy."

Mark Pettingill (UBP): Yes

"I think that anything that creates transparency between the public and the Government and government officials is essential."

Bob Richards (UBP): Yes

"I'm certainly in favour of the concept. It's something that I would support subject to the details. We need to have more open government. I know I'd be in support of freedom of information."

Walter Roban (PLP): No comment

"I don't wish to participate in any polls at this point. I'll wait to see where my government takes the green paper."

Alex Scott (PLP): Yes

"It certainly is an idea whose time has come. I would want to see it be. I hope that we do move on ahead with some form of freedom of information or PATI. I hope it's something that there is little or no resistance to."

Kim Swan (UBP): Yes

"We have seen periods of time where information has just been shut down and that's just not good. But if you give people the information they can't speculate as to what you might be hiding."

Darius Tucker (UBP): Yes

"I certainly do support the public having the right to know what's going on with taxpayers' money. I certainly do agree that the public should know how their money is being spent."

We were unable to get responses from UBP MPs Jon Brunson and Cole Simons and PLP MPs Paula Cox, Randy Horton, Elvin James, Dennis Lister, Walter Lister, Terry Lister, Patrice Minors, Wayne Perinchief, Michael Scott and Dame Jennifer Smith.