Complaints about federal government secrecy have surged to record levels, with Canada's Information Commissioner revealing her office has already received more complaints this year than during all of last year.Blacklock's Reporter says Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard told the House of Commons ethics committee that federal departments and agencies continue to struggle to meet their legal obligations to release public records.“This year, so far, we have received 5,000 complaints,” Maynard testified. “This is more than last year, in the full year.”Maynard warned that changing federal access-to-information legislation will not be enough to address the growing problems unless government officials demonstrate a genuine commitment to transparency.“Legislative reform alone will not resolve many of the challenges currently affecting the system,” she said.“The number of complaints my office has received this year is indicative that institutions continue to struggle in meeting their obligations under the law.”The commissioner revealed she issued 63 orders last year forcing federal departments and agencies to release information they had been reluctant to disclose.Maynard said restoring public confidence in government requires a fundamental change in how federal institutions handle requests for information.“If we truly want to rebuild trust in government institutions, transparency must be embraced as an institutional value supported by leadership and reflected throughout the public service,” she told MPs.She also warned that withholding government information undermines the ability of Canadians to hold elected officials accountable.“Without information, Canadians are not informed,” said Maynard. “They cannot exercise their democratic rights.”During the committee hearing, Liberal MP Leslie Church (Toronto-St. Paul’s) questioned whether some individuals were overwhelming the access-to-information system by submitting excessive requests.“There are actors who are perhaps misusing or over-using the system,” Church said.“How does your office get involved in helping to determine whether those are indeed frivolous or vexatious?”Maynard defended Canadians who regularly request government documents, including journalists, historians and academics who rely on public records for their work.“People are doing work with that information,” she replied.“We have journalists who really are going back to institutions because they need to do the work and inform Canadians. It’s not because they are doing 100 requests a day that are abusive. That’s part of their job.”.Maynard added that professors and historians also depend on access to federal records to conduct research and inform the public.The mounting complaints come more than a decade after the Liberals first promised to make federal government information publicly accessible by default.In a 2015 ministerial mandate letter, the Liberal government pledged to establish higher standards for openness and transparency.“We have committed to set a higher bar for openness and transparency in government,” the letter stated.“It is time to shine more light on government to ensure it remains focused on the people it serves.”The mandate letter also declared that government information should be available to Canadians unless there was a legitimate reason to withhold it.“Government and its information should be open by default. If we want Canadians to trust their government, we need a government that trusts Canadians.”Prime Minister Mark Carney made a similar commitment during the 2025 federal election campaign, promising to review the access-to-information system and improve public access to government records.Speaking to reporters on April 25, 2025, Carney acknowledged that the existing process was difficult to navigate.“I’m happy to commit to having a review of that because I do find, at least as an outsider — I’ve been an outsider until now — and as a consumer of it, I sometimes can’t always follow the process, if you will,” Carney said.“An objective review of that would serve Canadians well regardless of the results of the election.”
