Saskatchewan taxpayers could gain greater access to government spending records under proposed legislation that would eliminate freedom-of-information fees and give the province's information commissioner new powers to force the release of documents.The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is urging MLAs from all parties to support Bill 638, a private member's bill introduced by MLA Jordan McPhail aimed at strengthening government transparency and accountability.The legislation would overhaul Saskatchewan's freedom-of-information system by removing processing fees, requiring completed information requests to be published online and making certain public-interest disclosures mandatory.“Taxpayers pay the bills and they deserve to know how their politicians are spending their tax dollars,” said CTF Prairie Director Gage Haubrich.“Sunlight is the best disinfectant and this bill will make it easier for everyday taxpayers and journalists to uncover wasteful government spending.”Under the proposed changes, government departments would be required to publish responses to completed freedom-of-information requests on a public website within two weeks of their release.The bill would also establish a provision requiring the disclosure of information deemed to be in the public interest.Another major change would give Saskatchewan's information and privacy commissioner the authority to issue legally binding orders compelling government agencies to release documents.Currently, the commissioner can investigate complaints and recommend the release of records, but the provincial government is not required to follow those recommendations.The CTF has previously called on Saskatchewan to strengthen the commissioner's authority, arguing the existing system allows governments to withhold information despite findings from the independent watchdog.According to the federation, five other provinces and the federal government already give their information commissioners the power to issue binding orders..The proposed changes would bring Saskatchewan closer to those jurisdictions while making it easier for journalists, taxpayers and members of the public to scrutinize government decisions.The CTF says freedom-of-information legislation is an essential tool for uncovering questionable government expenditures.As an example, the organization pointed to records it obtained showing the Saskatchewan government spent $17,401 on two charter flights between Regina and Saskatoon.The federation says such information might otherwise remain unknown to taxpayers without access-to-information requests.Eliminating processing fees would also reduce the financial barriers facing people seeking government records.Requiring completed responses to be posted online would allow the public to access information already released to other applicants without submitting duplicate requests.The federation argues these measures would make government spending easier to scrutinize and reduce opportunities for public officials to avoid accountability.Haubrich said politicians should support the legislation regardless of party affiliation.“Government accountability and transparency shouldn’t be a partisan issue,” he said.“Politicians from both sides of the legislature need to back this bill to show they support taxpayers’ right to know.”Bill 638 would need to pass through the Saskatchewan legislature before the proposed changes could become law.
