Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard prepares to appear at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, in Ottawa, on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. In her annual report to Parliament, Maynard says chronic issues continue to plague the Access to Information system, with no solutions in sight. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
OTTAWA – The federal information watchdog says the government’s key transparency provision has steadily eroded to the point where it no longer serves its intended purpose.
In her annual report to Parliament, information commissioner Caroline Maynard says chronic issues continue to plague the Access to Information system, with no solutions in sight.
For a $5 fee, Canadians can use the access law to request federal records, from briefing notes and reports to emails and invoices.
However, requesters have long complained the system is clumsy, slow and full of loopholes that allow government agencies to refuse to release information.
Maynard notes that despite calls for meaningful change, a federal review concluded with a report last December that outlined no firm commitments and proposed no legislative change.
The commissioner says money to bolster the system has evaporated, commitments to transparency have vanished from ministerial mandate letters and it’s clear that improving transparency is not a priority for the government.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2023.
