There's widespread anger in Newfoundland and Labrador this week over a new bill which, critics argue, allows the government to rule in secrecy.

The Kathy Dunderdale Conservatives have introduced new legislation that would broadly reduce the public's access to information and expand the number documents that are off-limits to public disclosure.

Specifically, according to CBC News, cabinet ministers can now deny information requests that they judge to be "frivolous." Moreover, they can actually bar the auditor general from viewing certain documents.

According to the Canadian Press, the Tories claim they're simply providing clarity on the right to information and the use and disclosure of personal information.

But NDP leader Lorraine Michael called the legislation regressive while Liberal leader Dwight Ball dubbed it the "secrecy act."

"Former premier [Danny] Williams stated an effective freedom of information act is the best safeguard against the tendency of governments to descend into secrecy and elitism," Ball said.

One of the more poignant arguments against the bill came from the the Telegram newspaper's Russell Wangersky:

"During the past few years, Canadians have learned through federal access law about G8 and G20 spending on gazebos, about Defence Minister Peter MacKay's use of search and rescue helicopters, and about senior bureaucrats concerns about F-35 fighter spending. "Every bit of that information would still be secret, specifically blocked from view, if the federal act were amended in the way this province's government is about to amend our provincial legislation. "The Harper government is renowned for its secrecy: the Dunderdale government is clearly about to out-do the secrecy of Stephen Harper."

When your record of transparency is compared to that of the Harper government, maybe you have gone too far.