BC NDP rams through Freedom of Information changes after marathon all-night debate

VANCOUVER — With the help of two independent MLAs and the BC Green Party, the BC NDP government used its slim majority to push Bill 9 — amendments to the province’s Freedom of Information law — through second reading after an all-night sitting that ended just before 4 a.m. Thursday..Bill 9 proposes amendments to British Columbia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The changes include expanded grounds for public bodies to ask the Information and Privacy Commissioner to disregard requests deemed “abusive,” “malicious,” “repetitious,” or likely to “unreasonably interfere with operations.” It would also change the duty to respond to requests from “without delay” to “without unreasonable delay,” allow applicants to consent to longer response times, and enable proactive disclosure of certain personal information without a formal request. The government says the amendments will "modernize" the FOI system, reduce administrative burdens from complex or unreasonable requests, and improve efficiency. Critics argue the bill will make it easier for the government to delay, deny or discourage legitimate requests, weakening transparency and public accountability.Opposition MLAs, led by the BC Conservatives, fought the bill with a six-month hoist motion, arguing it would make it easier to deny or delay public records requests and reduce transparency. The hoist was defeated 48-42, with second reading passing on the same vote.The NDP government invoked closure or time allocation around 3:40 a.m. with the hoist motion defeated 48-42, and second reading passed on the same margin with NDP MLAs plus independents Elenore Sturko and Amelia Boultbee in favour.Independent MLA Jordan Kealy for Peace River North criticized the NDP for forcing closure with help from the two independents, calling it “a sad, long day and early morning for the NDP to be one step closer to being even less transparent.”Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee then accused Kealy of slipping out hours earlier to drink at a bar..Kealy pushed back and posted a video from outside the legislature just after 4 a.m. confirming he had stayed until the end..The video showed Kealy criticizing the NDP for forcing closure “with the help of” Sturko and Boultbee. “It’s a sad, long day and early morning for the NDP to be one step closer to being even less transparent,” he wrote.Boultbee, meanwhile, live-posted updates from the chamber about ordering a burrito delivered to the front doors of the Legislative Assembly while the hoist debate continued. She described the “guacaholic” order — with extra guacamole “in honour” of the proceedings — as “much more serious” than the motion..The Penticton—Summerland MLA then shared photos and screenshots of her interaction with what appeared to be the burrito delivery driver, including a request to have the burrito dropped off at the front door of the Legislative Assembly building and later declared: “BREAKING NEWS The burrito has been secured.”.With the House scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. Thursday, giving MLAs less than six hours between adjournment and the next sitting, many will have had little time to sleep before returning to the chamber.Bill 9 has now advanced to the second reading stage..Further proceedings on the bill are expected in the days ahead as the spring session continues.

BC NDP rams through Freedom of Information changes after marathon all-night debate

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