The Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA) is deeply disappointed in the new Conservative government’s failure to deliver on its election promises to increase federal government transparency. The Conservative platform contained eight firm commitments to “Strengthen Access to Information legislation” (See below). In the Federal Accountability Act tabled in Parliament today, only one of […]

FIPA has joined with a York University professor and the Canadian Association of University Teachers in a legal battle for access to the records of corporations created by universities in BC. The issue is currently under review by BC Information and Privacy Commissioner David Loukidelis. Universities in BC are covered by the Freedom of Information […]

The federal Conservatives appear to be back-pedaling on their promise to open up the inner workings of government to scrutiny by reforming the Access to Information Act. The Federal Accountability Act, which is expected to be presented on Tuesday as Harper administration’s first legislation, was to include a major overhaul and update of the Access […]

In response to an FOI request from the Sierra Legal Defence Fund, the BC government has quoted a fee of $172,947.50 for access to a list of BC’s top polluters that until 2001 was made public at no charge. Randy Christensen of the non-profit Sierra Legal Defence Fund was forced to file a freedom of […]

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has released a public notice asking for input on the development and operation of a National Do Not Call List (DNCL) and on telemarketing rules. Anyone interested in commenting without participating in the full public process, may do so in writing via mail, fax, or on a web-form […]

“Transparency does not guarantee accountability, but it makes it more possible,” Justice John Gomery wrote in his final report, released on February 1. FIPA applauds his call to make government more transparent and we urge Parliament to enact his recommendations swiftly in the upcoming legislative session. The last major progress in transparency was made in […]

On January 23, for the first time in 20 years, a Canadian federal election may deliver real reform in government transparency and accountability. The ruling Liberals, as a result of the sponsorship scandal, were forced to introduce some half-hearted transparency measures in 2005, but there is a strong national consensus that much more needs to […]

FIPA has commissioned BC’s first-ever formal survey of people who have made requests for information under the province’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The survey is designed to determine whether it has become easier or more difficult to obtain information under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPP Act) […]

Weekly privacy news briefs from around the world – October to December 2005: Privacy News Highlights – 13 Oct 2005 Privacy News Highlights – 20 Oct 2005 Privacy News Highlights – 27 Oct 2005 Privacy News Highlights – 10 Nov 2005 Privacy News Highlights – 23 Nov 2005 Privacy News Highlights – 1 Dec 2005 […]

BC’s Freedom of Information Act is in dire need of updating and strengthening. A formal review of the act completed in 2004 should have yielded improvements, but the government has taken a puzzling detour. A Special Committee of the Legislature conducted a comprehensive review of the FOI act in 2004 and submitted a report with […]

The federal government got a lot more than it asked for when it commissioned former Supreme Court justice Gerard La Forest to study whether or not the offices of the federal Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner should be merged. Although these offices are merged in some provinces, it was not entirely clear what was pushing […]

Opposition leader Stephen Harper has announced that, if elected, the Conservatives will introduce major measures to increase federal transparency and accountability. The federal Liberals promised major initiatives to increase transparency, but FIPA and other watchdogs have taken them to task for introducing ineffective whistleblower legislation and failing to carry through with reform of the Access […]