International Right to Know Day

Was yesterday....more information:

established by the Freedom of Information Advocates Network (based in Budapest and Sofia, see http://www.foiadvocates.net and http://www.righttoknowday.net ). Advocates in two dozen countries are mounting coordinated activities such as conferences, awards, release of studies, and workshops on September 28.

Plus this at Freedominfo.org:

The freedominfo.org posting today included a sample of 25 news stories from around the world based on records released through the access laws:

* Australians learned about the $500,000 per year on average that each ex-prime minister of Australia costs taxpayers in that country for support of professional activities (and excluding the lifelong pension each receives).

* In Romania, citizens won access to data on wiretaps including how many actually led to criminal convictions.

* Canadians discovered that the Premier of Alberta billed taxpayers for a $2,600 lunch tab and $27 glasses of orange juice.

* An Indian citizen exposed the abuse of government cars by civil servants and officials who used the transport for tourist trips and religious pilgrimages.

* The largest Japanese newspaper, The Yomiuri Shimbun, uncovered huge lobbying expenses by the Japanese liquor merchants association that won repeal of licensing requirements, including direct payments to lawmakers.

* And the Mexican federal agency that is implementing Mexico's new law ordered release of Interior Ministry intelligence that was the basis for Mexico's expelling Cuban diplomats in 2003.