BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
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A step towards accountability
Media Release
A small step towards open and transparent government
Vancouver, February 5, 2019 – The B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association is pleased with the recommendations made by the province’s top watchdogs to bring the Legislative Assembly of B.C. under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
Signed by Information
and Privacy Commissioner Michael McEvoy, Merit Commissioner Fiona Spencer, and
Ombudsperson Jay Chalke, the recommendations called for the Legislature to
“meet the same standards” that 2,900 other provincial public bodies are subject
to.
While opening
the Legislature to freedom of information rules is a welcome sight, the move is
ultimately just one of the steps to a full reform that FIPA has been calling
for in the past two decades. “This is just one little piece of the puzzle and
there’s a whole lot of reform that we’re trying to get,” says Executive
Director Sara Neuert. “We continue to be in reactionary mode and we need to
move a step further and be proactive.”
These
recommendations will only act to prevent the exact same scandal from repeating
itself, more effective change would address a broader scale of freedom of
information reform.
The Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) drafted in May of 2016 has made calls for a comprehensive reform, which would include the enactment of a Duty to Document, penalties for interference, and addressing the exceptions and loopholes that can be routinely exploited during any FOI proceedings.
These comprehensive reforms are the only measures that will provide government transparency and establish a system of accountability that will prevent future government scandals from occurring.
Contact:
Sara Neuert, Executive Director
BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Email: fipa (at) fipa.bc.ca
Phone: 604-739-9788
-30-
Media Release
A small step towards open and transparent government
Vancouver, February 5, 2019 – The B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association is pleased with the recommendations made by the province’s top watchdogs to bring the Legislative Assembly of B.C. under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
Signed by Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael McEvoy, Merit Commissioner Fiona Spencer, and Ombudsperson Jay Chalke, the recommendations called for the Legislature to “meet the same standards” that 2,900 other provincial public bodies are subject to.
While opening the Legislature to freedom of information rules is a welcome sight, the move is ultimately just one of the steps to a full reform that FIPA has been calling for in the past two decades. “This is just one little piece of the puzzle and there’s a whole lot of reform that we’re trying to get,” says Executive Director Sara Neuert. “We continue to be in reactionary mode and we need to move a step further and be proactive.”
These recommendations will only act to prevent the exact same scandal from repeating itself, more effective change would address a broader scale of freedom of information reform.
The Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) drafted in May of 2016 has made calls for a comprehensive reform, which would include the enactment of a Duty to Document, penalties for interference, and addressing the exceptions and loopholes that can be routinely exploited during any FOI proceedings.
These comprehensive reforms are the only measures that will provide government transparency and establish a system of accountability that will prevent future government scandals from occurring.
Contact:
Sara Neuert, Executive Director
BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Email: fipa (at) fipa.bc.ca
Phone: 604-739-9788
-30-