June 15, 2026 – The BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA) thanks the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada for the opportunity to make submission for the 2025 Access to Information Act Review.
The following submission was drafted by FIPA and submitted to the Treasury Board Secretariat.
We want to thank our 2026 UVic Law Co-op Legal Researcher, Pascale Grenier, for drawing together and organizing this report considering the many competing priorities, viewpoints and formats into a single narrative. FIPA extends its sincere gratitude to the numerous groups and individuals who generously provided valuable feedback on early versions and drafts, helping us refine this document. Many have also made their own submissions. Of particular note is the B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), whose legal expertise consistently provides important insights that strengthen our arguments for progressive law reform.
The Treasury Board Secretariat’s review outlined a series of policy proposals intended to improve the operation of Canada’s access to information system, reinforce transparency, and encourage public discussion about the future of the Access to Information Act. FIPA’s submission responds to those proposals and sets out nine recommendations for reform.
At the center of FIPA’s submission is the need to make access rights practical and enforceable. Too often, delays, backlogs, unclear processes, and uneven service standards prevent people from exercising their right of access in a timely and meaningful way. FIPA sees a solution in equipping institutions with the tools they need to be successful and create a culture of transparency.
FIPA’s recommendations call on the federal government to:
clearly define the “reasonable efforts” institutions must make when assisting requesters;
automatically provide requesters with a summary of how their request was processed;
make the concept of public interest more meaningful;
invest in modernizing and adequately supporting the access to information system;
build a culture of transparency within institutions;
require government to respond more seriously to committee and consultation recommendations;
broaden the scope of the Act to include organizations carrying out governmental functions;
increase transparency in government procurement; and
reduce unnecessary reliance on ATIA requests by parliamentarians where other parliamentary tools are available.
To ensure access rights are treated with the importance they deserve, the submission emphasizes the need to prioritize the requester’s point of view and a system that enables greater understanding of public institutions. Reform should involve clarifying responsibilities of institutions, encouraging follow-up with requesters, boosting the significance of public interest, resource investment, and broadening the scope of the Act.
Access to information is a public right, not a matter of government discretion. A functioning access system must help people understand what government is doing, hold public institutions accountable, and participate meaningfully in democratic life.
FIPA continues to support meaningful law reform that strengthens transparency, improves access rights, and helps ensure public institutions are accountable to the people they serve.
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