We live an in imperfect world. Some state secrets probably are for public benefit.
Government lies should be strongly regulated and see multiple layers of check and oversight. Re-review by new agents should be a frequent event. Lies should be expensive, they should have weight, and they should be only when strictly necessary for the good of the people.
As an example, 'fake' terrorists. Those who only rise to that level because someone in the government offered to sell (fake) explosives, etc. I believe that's more harm than good. However I'd also like real terrorists who would eventually figure out how to do bad things to get caught. Review, oversight, lies being expensive.
The problem becomes that not everything can be feasibly boiled down to purely true or false accuracy.
If you ask me how much is in my bank account, and I tell you it was $50 last time I checked, but I knew a $2000 deposit was coming, did I lie?
If you ask me about whether UFOs are real, and I tell you I've never seen one or met someone who credibly has, but I know we have a classified "Earth-Vulcan Treaty Negotiation" committee, did I lie?
If you ask me about the existence of programs to assassinate a dozen foreign leaders, and I answer 10 of them don't exist and say the answer to 2 are classified, but I know all 12 don't exist, did I lie?
It all goes down a rabbit hole of agency, intent, provability, and expected perception of what you communicated.
Government lies should be strongly regulated and see multiple layers of check and oversight. Re-review by new agents should be a frequent event. Lies should be expensive, they should have weight, and they should be only when strictly necessary for the good of the people.
As an example, 'fake' terrorists. Those who only rise to that level because someone in the government offered to sell (fake) explosives, etc. I believe that's more harm than good. However I'd also like real terrorists who would eventually figure out how to do bad things to get caught. Review, oversight, lies being expensive.