In this Commentary, we discuss Bill C-4, titled An Act respecting certain affordability measures for Canadians and another measure. That “other measure” is a series of amendments to the Canada Election Act creating serious impacts on people and their personal information. FIPA is conducting its first joint podcast with Michael Geist and The Law Bytes Podcast.  Join me, FIPA Executive Director […]

Updated 2025.06.16 Prepared for: Members of Parliament Prepared by: BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA) Date: June 16, 2025 Issue: Urgent concerns regarding Part 4 of Bill C-4, An Act respecting certain affordability measures for Canadians and another measure. Summary: Part 4 of Bill C-4 proposes amendments to the Canada Elections Act that […]

Updated 2025.06.16 Subject: Urgent Appeal – Withdraw Part 4 from Bill C-4 We are writing on behalf of the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association with an urgent appeal regarding Bill C-4, the Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act. We recognize and respect your commitment to affordability. But Part 4 of this Bill […]

This is your Access and Privacy News Summary for Saturday, June 14th.   We’ve got stories from across the country shaped by access to information—from national defense funding to local integrity issues, wildfire preparedness, and controversial provincial actions.  We’ll follow that with a scan of cybersecurity incidents, data breaches, and surveillance concerns that are hitting public institutions […]

Updated 2025.06.12 Dear Minister Champagne,  We call on you to withdraw the portions of the Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act, Bill C-4, that amend the Canada Elections Act. The provisions of the Bill are a serious threat to Canadians’ privacy rights.   Provisions in Bill C-4 Part 4 grant federal political parties sweeping […]

Liberal government’s troubling approach to privacy revealed in new legislation Published: 2025.06.10 Two federal bills, one about borders and one about affordability, contain buried provisions that will erode Canadians’ privacy rights. June started out as a busy legislative month for the federal government, and two freshly-introduced bills are generating concerns for privacy advocates across the […]

Updated 2025.06.27 Bill C-4 An Act respecting certain affordability measures for Canadians and another measure was introduced on June 5th 2025. This Finance bill’s other measure is a series of amendments to the Canada Election Act in Part 4. Part 4 of Bill C-4 is a direct attack on the privacy of Canadians. It gives […]

Show Notes for Saturday May 31. Writing: Shaun Fisk  | Production: Patrick Farnsworth  | Music: Breakmaster Cylinder Send comments to: FIPAOnline @ fipa.bc.ca You can support these efforts by subscribing or donating.   Full Show Links East Coast Data in the Spotlight  Nova Scotia Power confirms server breach was ‘sophisticated’ ransomware attack  https://fipa.bc.ca/nova-scotia-power-confirms-server-breach-was-sophisticated-ransomware-attack/  Federal privacy czar starts probe into theft of customer data from […]

While there are some positive elements, it is ‘unlikely’ that most public bodies in British Columbia are meeting the public’s high expectations around their information management. This finding originates from a FIPA review of responses to multiple freedom of information requests.  From President Mike Larsen’s perspective, “You can’t really have a transparent, effective, efficient, and secure […]

Show Notes for Saturday May 24. Writing: Shaun Fisk  | Production: Patrick Farnsworth  | Music: Breakmaster Cylinder Send comments to: FIPAOnline @ fipa.bc.ca You can support these efforts by subscribing or donating.   Full Show Links Snitch Line & Power School Hacker This US Snitch Line Reports Canadians Providing Gender-Affirming Care  https://fipa.bc.ca/this-us-snitch-line-reports-canadians-providing-gender-affirming-care/   The Tyee –  https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/05/21/Snitch-Line-Gender-Affirming-Care/ U.S. college student pleads guilty in data […]

Show Notes for Saturday May 17. Writing: Shaun Fisk  | Production: Patrick Farnsworth  | Music: Breakmaster Cylinder Send comments to: FIPAOnline @ fipa.bc.ca You can support these efforts by subscribing or donating.   Full Show Links Alberta Legislative Impacts  Investigation finds Alberta government not complying with freedom of information laws  https://fipa.bc.ca/investigation-finds-alberta-government-not-complying-with-freedom-of-information-laws/   Information and Privacy Commissioner finds Government of Alberta non-compliant in processing access […]

Show Notes for Saturday May 10. Writing: Shaun Fisk  | Production: Patrick Farnsworth  | Music: Breakmaster Cylinder Send comments to: FIPAOnline @ fipa.bc.ca You can support these efforts by subscribing or donating.   Full Show Links Canadian Local Journalism Initiative  Number of St. Catharines properties in tax arrears soars under current council  https://fipa.bc.ca/number-of-st-catharines-properties-in-tax-arrears-soars-under-current-council/  The Pointer – https://thepointer.com/article/2025-04-30/number-of-st-catharines-properties-in-tax-arrears-soars-under-current-council#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20property%20tax,by%20the%20current%20City%20Council.   OPP detachment board’s ‘Traveling Wilburys’ seek meeting […]