by Glen Korstrom
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 13/98) - The Department of National Defence new policy on openness only goes so far, as one Northern researcher discovered when he asked for information on the 1996 crash of a jet fighter in Iqaluit.

Kevin O'Reilly, research director for the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee, has made three access to information requests for documents pertaining to the Aug. 14, 1996, crash.

O'Reilly wanted reports, memos, correspondence and notes on why the CF-18 crashed at the Iqaluit airport and the environmental and human health effects.

Eighteen months later, the Forces finally responded, but not with all documents he sought.

The cause of the crash is known. According to a DND report, a second pilot erred by trying to land on the wrong runway.

On March 23, O'Reilly received that report, dated Aug. 30, 1996, but it didn't have all the answers.

"They must have been corresponding back and forth with other government departments about the effects of environment and human health," he said. "But I don't have any of those documents yet."

The Access to Information and Privacy Act binds DND to respond within 60 days to a request, but O'Reilly has yet to get an explanation as to why the documents are unavailable.

Lt. Mark Gough, public relations officer for DND Northern Area Headquarters, stressed the military is open about releasing information.

He said O'Reilly's delay in receiving Iqaluit crash environmental information was largely because the studies were carried out by private institutions such as McMaster University and Phillips in Montreal.

DND needed permission to release the completed studies, Gough said, and there were several delays in obtaining that approval.

"Canadians need to know and have a right to know what the military is doing," he said. "The policy is to be as open as possible with information and to be proactive."

Another reason for the delay is access to information workers are understaffed and "the process is cumbersome," he said.

Still, O'Reilly is certain documents on environmental and health effects exist, partly because DND officials held briefings with local officials and issued at least one press release from Iqaluit, he said.

"I don't know if DND has changed their approach to freedom of information requests," O'Reilly said.

"If they are being more open now, why was there a document dated Aug. 30, 1996, just arriving in my mailbox yesterday? Why am I still waiting for the additional documents?"

Gough said there is tangible evidence of DND's new openness policy.

DND communications are now streamlined. Gough can now issue many press releases with a simple OK from his Yellowknife supervisor, leaving Ottawa out of the loop.

DND came under intense scrutiny during the Somalia inquiry, when they were found to have stifled information or at least not released it in a timely manner.