The Commons Access to Information committee on Tuesday called for extensive reforms to address the federal censorship of public records, according to Blacklock’s Reporter..Conservative MP John Brassard (Barrie-Innisfil, ON), who serves as the committee chair, emphasized that the current system is “broken.”.“This report reflects the seriousness of the current state of the Access to Information system,” Brassard told the Commons. .“The recommendations that are in this report are meant and designed to fix what is a broken system.”.The committee report The State of Canada’s Access to Information System recommended a ban on federal employees’ use of personal email accounts to conduct public business, mandatory disclosure of all public spending including legal fees and a requirement “that the Government of Canada implement a process for the automatic release of historical documents that are more than 25 years old.”.Currently, cabinet records remain sealed for a period of up to 38 years..“It’s always been very difficult to change the culture of government,” Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard testified on March 7..The report also recommended federal agencies that ignore requests for records face “fines or penalties where Access to Information and privacy divisions are late,” and said cabinet must “acknowledge that the status quo is not acceptable.”.On Tuesday, the Cabinet chose not to comment on the report..Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on June 13 of his commitment to Access to Information..“We recognize there is always more to do,” said Trudeau. .“Transparency is an important part of building confidence for Canadians in their governments.”.Cabinet in a 2019 Ministerial Mandate letter promised to “raise the bar on openness, effectiveness and transparency in government. This means a government that is open by default.” .In 2014, as a Liberal MP, Trudeau sponsored Bill C-613 An Act to Amend the Parliament of Canada Act. The bill aimed to establish a requirement for federal agencies to obtain a court order in order to withhold public records. The bill lapsed and did not proceed..“Why haven’t you lived up to those promises?” asked a reporter. .“That is something we committed to,” replied Trudeau. .“We’ve moved forward with updating Access to Information.”.During a committee hearing on Dec. 7, witnesses testified that it was a common to wait for years before public records were released..“Turnaround times are terrible,” testified Dean Beeby, a retired Canadian Press reporter..“What is your longest outstanding Access to Information request?” asked Conservative MP Michael Barrett (Leeds-Grenville, ON). .“Ten years,” replied Beeby.
The Commons Access to Information committee on Tuesday called for extensive reforms to address the federal censorship of public records, according to Blacklock’s Reporter..Conservative MP John Brassard (Barrie-Innisfil, ON), who serves as the committee chair, emphasized that the current system is “broken.”.“This report reflects the seriousness of the current state of the Access to Information system,” Brassard told the Commons. .“The recommendations that are in this report are meant and designed to fix what is a broken system.”.The committee report The State of Canada’s Access to Information System recommended a ban on federal employees’ use of personal email accounts to conduct public business, mandatory disclosure of all public spending including legal fees and a requirement “that the Government of Canada implement a process for the automatic release of historical documents that are more than 25 years old.”.Currently, cabinet records remain sealed for a period of up to 38 years..“It’s always been very difficult to change the culture of government,” Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard testified on March 7..The report also recommended federal agencies that ignore requests for records face “fines or penalties where Access to Information and privacy divisions are late,” and said cabinet must “acknowledge that the status quo is not acceptable.”.On Tuesday, the Cabinet chose not to comment on the report..Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on June 13 of his commitment to Access to Information..“We recognize there is always more to do,” said Trudeau. .“Transparency is an important part of building confidence for Canadians in their governments.”.Cabinet in a 2019 Ministerial Mandate letter promised to “raise the bar on openness, effectiveness and transparency in government. This means a government that is open by default.” .In 2014, as a Liberal MP, Trudeau sponsored Bill C-613 An Act to Amend the Parliament of Canada Act. The bill aimed to establish a requirement for federal agencies to obtain a court order in order to withhold public records. The bill lapsed and did not proceed..“Why haven’t you lived up to those promises?” asked a reporter. .“That is something we committed to,” replied Trudeau. .“We’ve moved forward with updating Access to Information.”.During a committee hearing on Dec. 7, witnesses testified that it was a common to wait for years before public records were released..“Turnaround times are terrible,” testified Dean Beeby, a retired Canadian Press reporter..“What is your longest outstanding Access to Information request?” asked Conservative MP Michael Barrett (Leeds-Grenville, ON). .“Ten years,” replied Beeby.
