In another blow to government secrecy, the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association has won an important victory in forcing the provincial government to release contracts it makes with the private sector. In a decision handed down yesterday, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner ordered the government to hand over an unredacted […]

FIPA has joined with CIPPIC and other Canadian rights groups to send an open letter to the House of Commons ETHI Committee calling for thorough review of Bill C-29, cynically titled the ‘Safeguarding Canadian’s Personal Information Act’. Bill C-29 proposes a number of amendments to Canada’s federal privacy protection statute, the Personal Information Protection and […]

ACCESS TO INFORMATION WILL SUFFER IF POLICY SPREADS TO OTHER PUBLIC BODIES Vancouver – After being brought back under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), BC Ferries has set up a system designed to discourage FOI requests, especially those from public interest groups and the media. The new policy states that […]

A new study has found that BC’s third party advertising rules caused extensive problems for “small spenders” such as non-profits and charities during the 2009 provincial election. The rules – brought in through the controversial Bill 42 in 2008 – led to widespread confusion, wasted resources, anxiety and self-censorship among organizations that spent little or […]

This week a shocking case was revealed in which the sensitive personal information of a federal government critic was examined by hundreds of government employees. According to the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, the BC government is moving forward with unprecedented plans for personal information sharing that will make this kind of privacy […]

Tom Hanson/The Canadian Press Confidential medical and financial information belonging to an outspoken critic of Veterans Affairs, including part of a psychiatrist’s report, found its way into the briefing notes of a cabinet minister. Highly personal information about Sean Bruyea was contained in a 13-page briefing note prepared by bureaucrats in 2006 for then-minister Greg […]

Don’t miss the BC Information Summit 2010! Transparency Turnaround: When public information goes private and personal information goes public September 29, 2010 The Theatre at UBC Robson Square Campous http://infosummit.ca/ This event will be of special interest to information and privacy professionals, lawyers, journalists, librarians, record managers, archivists and anyone who uses or has to […]

FIPA has sent a letter to BC’s Information and Privacy Commissioner requesting an investigation into what appear to be false claims that there were “no responsive records” to requests made under the freedom of information act. Both FIPA and the province’s Official Opposition made requests for records of government discussions concerning the creation of a […]

BC FIPA sought a judicial review of the order by the Office of Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia dated January 27, 2009, (F09-02) regarding the scope of the exemption for “advice and recommendations” under s. 13(1) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). BC FIPA did not agree with […]

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has ruled that the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCHA) must disclose commercial and financial details of three outsourcing contracts in response to FOI requests. While issuing a series of orders today, BC’s new Information and Privacy Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham stated, “These three orders are the latest in […]

In this issue: Meet BC’s new Information and Privacy Commissioner FOIPP Act review report a mixed bag FIPA report blasts massive data-matching scheme Legal Actions: Are submissions to government consultations ‘policy advice’? BC government loses again in attempt to keep big contracts secret Dowload the bulletin (pdf).

Heritage Minister James Moore accuses ‘radical extremists’ of opposing his proposed copyright legislation. FIPA’s Vincent Gogolek wonders if the minister is one of the mysterious ‘Agents of Foreign Influence’ cited by CSIS director Richard Fadden – certainly he’s under the influence of American cultural industries, their lobbyists and possibly the U.S. government. Open Letter To: […]