Access to Information

Topic: Access to Information


Trump fires Democratic commissioner of independent agency that oversees nuclear safety

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has fired a Democratic commissioner for the federal agency that oversees nuclear safety as he continues to assert more control over independent regulatory agencies. Christopher Hanson, a former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said in a statement Monday that Trump terminated his position as NRC commissioner without […]

Read More


PM Carney says he has no plans to tackle 24 Sussex question during his mandate

Almost a decade after 24 Sussex Drive was abandoned as the official residence of the Canadian prime minister, taxpayers are still shelling out tens of thousands of dollars a year to maintain the vacant property, and the new prime minister has signalled he’s in no rush to deal with the crumbling building. Prime Minister Mark […]

Read More


Fentanyl czar says government’s border bill will help in fight against lethal drug

Canada’s fentanyl czar says the fight against the deadly opioid would get a boost from proposed new tools for law enforcement in the Liberal government’s recently tabled border bill. Kevin Brosseau, the federal point person on fentanyl, welcomes provisions in the Strong Borders Act to increase inspection powers, give police easier access to information, crack […]

Read More


Some Newfoundland hydrogen companies behind in bills as industry hype ‘boils off’

Newfoundland and Labrador is owed millions of dollars in fees from green energy companies, underlining growing doubts about whether promises of major projects and multi-billion dollar investments will pan out.  Six companies are vying to create new operations in the province that would use wind energy to produce hydrogen for exports overseas. Figures obtained by […]

Read More


Controversial Alberta private health centre helped behind the scenes by Airdrie mayor, documents reveal

Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown provided extensive behind the scenes help to a controversial private health care centre, according to emails obtained by the Investigative Journalism Foundation. The City of Airdrie has publicly claimed it did not help develop a proposal for the centre, which would be Alberta’s first urgent care centre not run by the […]

Read More


‘No end in sight’ for systematic killing of BC wolves to save caribou

The BC government spent a decade killing wolves to protect caribou. Now, critics warn that despite questions about its effectiveness, ethics and impact on the rest of the environment, the government is moving to make the wolf cull a permanent part of its strategy.  Launched as a short-term emergency measure in 2015, the decade-long wolf […]

Read More


Ford government obfuscated Greenbelt records through code words: commissioner

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government broke its legal, record-keeping obligations amid its now-reversed decision to open up parts of the protected Greenbelt lands for housing, the province’s information and privacy commissioner has found.  Political staff were using code words to thwart document requests and left a surprisingly small paper trail for such a consequential policy, […]

Read More


Legal experts gear up to challenge Bill 5 as First Nations pledge to ‘close Ontario’s economy’

Rallies for endangered species. Protests led by First Nations. A filibuster from the NDP. More than 4,000 amendments tabled by the Liberals. Two committee hearings with Indigenous leaders, legal experts, labour representatives, and more. Despite all of it, Bill 5 passed. On June 5, as Ontarians across the province struggled to breathe through smoke-filled air […]

Read More


Communication during Bocabec wildfire ‘challenging’: report

An after-action report released by the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organizations said communication during the Stein Lake wildfire near Saint Andrews in 2023 was challenging.  The wildfire burned more than 500 hectares, surpassing the province’s 10-year average and was started by an ATV that caught fire, according to Saint Andrews fire chief Kevin Theriault.  An […]

Read More


SDG Rural Education Committee looks at rural school funding

Phillip BlancherLocal Journalism Initiative Reporter CORNWALL – Rural schools in SDG Counties are receiving specific provincial funding, and the Rural Education Committee wants to know what that funding is and how it is used.  Members of the Rural Education Committee, an SDG Counties council committee formed in 2022, discussed the provincial Rural and Northern Education […]

Read More


How scammers are using AI to steal college financial aid

It was an unusual question coming from a police officer. Heather Brady was napping at home in San Francisco on a Sunday afternoon when the officer knocked on her door to ask: Had she applied to Arizona Western College? She had not, and as the officer suspected, somebody else had applied to Arizona community colleges […]

Read More


Transparency advocates call for independent review of Access to Information Act

Transparency advocates say a coming federal review of the Access to Information Act should be overseen by an independent panel — not the government — to avoid the pitfalls of the last such exercise. In a letter sent Monday to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali, civil society groups, academics and […]

Read More