The unanimous report handed down by the Special Committee reviewing BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act has a lot of positive recommendations, but a few recommendations could be huge problems for FOI and privacy rights in this province. First, the good stuff. The committee has repeated a number of the recommendations of […]

FIPA has asked BC’s Information and Privacy Commissioner to investigate a new government order requiring Crown corporations to notify the provincial government in advance when any information is to be released in response to freedom of information requests. In the letter requesting the investigation, FIPA executive director Darrell Evans states the “requirement gives us a […]

Three BC watchdog groups are commending the BC government for increasing transparency by bringing the BC Ferries corporation back under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPP Act). BC Ferries was removed from the provincial freedom of information law in 2003 by the Liberal government as part of a massive re-organization of […]

BC FIPA presented its submissions to the Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) BC FIPA makes 20 recommendations for improving FIPPA which touch on multiple issues of concern. Regarding freedom of information, there are two sides to a single existential coin. In order for the Act to […]

A Special Committee of the BC Legislature that is reviewing the province’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act has extended the deadline for public submissions a second time. The new deadline is March 15, 2010. Information on the Special Committee and its members can be found on the Legislative Assembly website. Click here […]

BC FIPA filed a intervener factum in the Supreme Court of Canada on January 26, 2010 in case docket 33620. This is an appeal from the Court of Appeal of Alberta (Alberta Teachers’ Association v. Alberta (Information and Privacy Commissioner), 2010 ABCA 26 (CanLII)) BC FIPA argues that the Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) […]

Fresh from a victory in BC Supreme Court that ordered most of the $300 million IBM Workplace Support Services contract with the province released over the objections of IBM and the BC government, the Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA) is having a birthday party to mark the five years since the FOI request […]

The Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services sought judicial review of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of BC (IPC) decision (F08-07) regarding the impact of third party review as part of the ongoing dispute over disclosure of the contract between the Ministry and IBM for computer services. Today, the BC Supreme Court confirmed that the […]

FIPA is calling on the Liberal government to give the Special Committee reviewing the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act the full year the law provides, instead of the eight months it just set out in the terms of reference for the committee. The Act provides that the committee must not take more […]

FIPA, the BC Civil Liberties Association, and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation sent a letter to Premier Gordon Campbell today calling for the return of BC Ferries to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. A report by the province’s Comptroller General revealed a culture of secrecy and entitlement at the provincially-owned but privately-run […]

Toronto/ Vancouver – The federal Justice Minister has slammed the door on any reform of the crippled Access to Information Act for the foreseeable future, according to three national organizations concerned about openness and accountability in government. In a strongly worded letter to the Prime Minister, the Canadian Newspaper Association, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and […]

BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act is about to receive a legislative review for the third time in its history. A Special Committee of the Legislature has been struck, and it is expected to have its first meeting soon. There will be no shortage of issues for the MLAs to deal with […]