Article content continued

Certainly, how development takes place in Saskatoon has become a key issue in the municipal election campaign, with candidates having divergent views on how and where the city’s growth should occur.

While their views are obviously of crucial interest to the construction industry that has millions of dollars at stake, especially given the City of Saskatoon’s role in developing property through its land bank policy, the general public, too, has a stake in what happens, given its impact on everything from their property taxes to the quality of life.

Transparency on such issues is fundamental to democracy, especially on the eve of a civic election.

Already, there’s too much secrecy in civic politics, where more items are being moved behind closed doors for discussion.

Even after an independent commission recommended measures to make campaign spending and fundraising more transparent, the current council couldn’t come to grips with some basic tenets of democratic governance, voting against banning corporate and union donations and even rejecting the notion of limiting donations only to those who live within Saskatchewan borders, never mind within city confines.

Despite the provincial government adopting an online lobbyist registry, Saskatoon still doesn’t require the disclosure of the names of potential lobbyists who meet with the mayor, a councillor or even senior city bureaucrats.

Not to suggest for a minute that anything untoward occurred at this week’s construction industry forum, but from a public interest perspective, the lack of transparency is disappointing.