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Controversy over FOI interference blows up in Parliament; Info Commissioner confirms ‘black hole’ in ministers’ offices
There is a growing furor in Parliament over the actions of a former ministerial aide who Canada’s Information Commissioner found had interfered with an access-to-information request.
Parliamentary Secretary Dean del Mastro stood tall for former ministerial aide Sebastien Togneri before the Commons ATI, Ethics and Privacy Committee this morning.
Del Mastro went out of his way to support Togneri, who is threatening to sue FIPA, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Newspapers Canada — all of whom are pushing for greater government transparency.
Togneri claims the three organizations defamed him by writing to the committee seeking a review of the circumstances around the RCMP’s abandonment of a criminal investigation for possible violation of s.67.1 of the Access to Information Act.
Also at this morning’s committee meeting, Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault confirmed that there are problems with an ATIA void in ministers’ offices as a result of a Supreme Court of Canada decision earlier this year. She said it will require legislative changes to make these offices and the people who work in them subject to the access to information Act.
Legault also stated that she has a number of other investigations into possible interference with ATI Act requests underway (including at Foreign Affairs and National Defence) and expects to have a special report finished by December.
“Today’s committee hearing shows that there is a broader and very serious problem with the law and how it does not apply to the people most likely to interfere with ATI requests,” said FIPA Executive Director Vincent Gogolek. “In light of what we heard from the Commissioner about this problem, it is disturbing to see the Parliamentary Secretary supporting someone who is threatening legal action against those bringing the question before the Committee.”
“I would have thought the Parliamentary Secretary would have been more concerned about how these types of letters prevent people from even communicating with their elected representatives about the burning issues of the day,” Gogolek concluded.
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Access to Information
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There is a growing furor in Parliament over the actions of a former ministerial aide who Canada’s Information Commissioner found had interfered with an access-to-information request.
Parliamentary Secretary Dean del Mastro stood tall for former ministerial aide Sebastien Togneri before the Commons ATI, Ethics and Privacy Committee this morning.
Del Mastro went out of his way to support Togneri, who is threatening to sue FIPA, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Newspapers Canada — all of whom are pushing for greater government transparency.
Togneri claims the three organizations defamed him by writing to the committee seeking a review of the circumstances around the RCMP’s abandonment of a criminal investigation for possible violation of s.67.1 of the Access to Information Act.
Also at this morning’s committee meeting, Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault confirmed that there are problems with an ATIA void in ministers’ offices as a result of a Supreme Court of Canada decision earlier this year. She said it will require legislative changes to make these offices and the people who work in them subject to the access to information Act.
Legault also stated that she has a number of other investigations into possible interference with ATI Act requests underway (including at Foreign Affairs and National Defence) and expects to have a special report finished by December.
“Today’s committee hearing shows that there is a broader and very serious problem with the law and how it does not apply to the people most likely to interfere with ATI requests,” said FIPA Executive Director Vincent Gogolek. “In light of what we heard from the Commissioner about this problem, it is disturbing to see the Parliamentary Secretary supporting someone who is threatening legal action against those bringing the question before the Committee.”
“I would have thought the Parliamentary Secretary would have been more concerned about how these types of letters prevent people from even communicating with their elected representatives about the burning issues of the day,” Gogolek concluded.
Categories
Access to InformationTags