The coalition government is facing criticism for its failure to keep the transparency agenda moving forward, but lessons can be learned by looking to Canada

In Canada last week, Stephen Harper’s Conservative government was defeated by a motion of no-confidence which declared the government to be in contempt of Parliament for its refusal to share information that opposition members had requested to properly assess legislation put before them. This lack of transparency has a history, argues Anne White, and may offer some lessons and a warning for David Cameron’s Conservative government on this side of the Atlantic.