The Environmental Law Clinic (ELC) has asked B.C.’s Information and Privacy Commissioner to conduct a Public Inquiry into whether government discriminates against environmental groups that request government documents under the province’s Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation. ELC student Scott Giesbrecht made the request on June 23, 2005 on behalf of Sierra Legal Defence Fund and […]

Canada’s information watchdog leveled a blistering attack at the federal government in his annual report tabled Monday. John Reid said: A “deep distrust” of the federal freedom-of-information law remains entrenched within government. The government’s proposed whistleblowing legislation for the public service is actually a legal instrument for covering up alleged government wrongdoing for periods of […]

Canadians using freedom of information laws to find out how government decisions are affecting their daily lives are very likely to be denied, according to a national audit by the Canadian Newspaper Association. The CNA study found that while the federal government as well as Canada’s provinces and territories all have freedom of information legislation, […]

CALGARY – Premier Ralph Klein’s government has been named the “most secretive government body in Canada” by the country’s leading journalism association. At its annual awards ceremony this past weekend, the Canadian Association of Journalism voted the Government of Alberta the winner of its Code of Silence Award, for its handling of a Freedom of […]

The Canadian Association of Journalists has nominated the B.C. government for its annual awards recognizing “the most secretive government agency in Canada”. The B.C. government was nominated for a series of actions that have undermined the province’s freedom of information laws. The CAJ news release states, “After taking power in 2001, the Liberals steadily cut […]

In their 2001 “New Era” platform, the BC Liberals promised to bring in “the most open, accountable and democratic government in Canada.” Research by FIPA shows that the Liberal government has done much more to erode open government during their four years in office than they have done to enhance it. In fact, they have […]

The BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association was joined by four other public interest groups today as it released a report taking the BC government to task for failing to live up to its “New Era” promise to deliver open and accountable government. The FIPA report is a preview of a major study to […]

Here is the response from the BC Liberal Party to our election survey on freedom of information and privacy issues for 2005. Download (pdf).

These are the questions we sent to the leaders of BC’s political parties to survey their views on freedom of information and privacy.   If or when your party forms the next B.C. government:   1. Do you think that access to government information should be increased? If so, what measures will you take to […]

OTTAWA , April 5, 2005 – The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Irwin Cotler, today presented a discussion paper on Access to Information reform to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. The paper outlines the Government’s views on access reform issues for the Committee’s consideration before the Government […]

Britain’s Freedom of Information Act came into force on January 1, 2005. Will it create a more open government in spite of Britain’s notoriously secretive government culture? Under the act, anyone, of any nationality, living anywhere in the world, will be able to request information held by more than 100,000 public authorities and other designated […]

By Paco Francoli The Hill Times October 18th, 2004 The Liberal government is finally ready to move forward with reform of the 21-year-old Access to Information Act, confirmed Justice Irwin Cotler on Friday. The minister told The Hill Times the government plans to introduce its own piece of legislation or cooperate with NDP MP Pat […]