{"id":13854,"date":"2021-12-23T09:14:03","date_gmt":"2021-12-23T14:14:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/?p=13854"},"modified":"2025-05-25T07:14:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-25T11:14:49","slug":"trudeau-liberal-government-must-now-make-access-to-information-law-changes-called-for-in-its-own-public-consultation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/trudeau-liberal-government-must-now-make-access-to-information-law-changes-called-for-in-its-own-public-consultation\/","title":{"rendered":"Trudeau Liberal government must now make access to information law changes called for in its own public consultationTrudeau Liberal government must now make access to information law changes called for in its own public consultation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Liberals also need to make other key open government changes to end secret lobbying, end secret investments by politicians, their staff and Cabinet appointees, and strengthen whistleblower protection<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:<\/b>
Thursday, December 23, 2021<\/p>\n\n

OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch responded to the report released by the Trudeau government yesterday afternoon containing the results of its public consultation on the Access to Information Act<\/em> (ATIA<\/em>)<\/a><\/span>. The report is a loud and clear call from all stakeholder groups and the public for key changes to close loopholes in the ATIA<\/em> and strengthen the Information Commissioner\u2019s enforcement powers.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe public and experts have loudly and clearly called once again, as they have for decades, for key changes to close loopholes in the federal access to information law, and strengthen enforcement,\u201d<\/em> said Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch. \u201cThe Trudeau Liberals must now stop their spin, lame excuses and unjustifiable delays and introduce a bill as soon as Parliament opens again in February to make the key changes that voters want to strengthen the access to information law and enforcement.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe federal access to information law is so full of loopholes that it really is just a guide to keeping information secret that the public has a right to know, and the key changes that the public is calling for will, if the Trudeau government implements them, make the law more effective,\u201d<\/em> said Conacher.<\/p>\n\n

The changes loudly and clearly called for in the report on the Trudeau government\u2019s public consultation on the ATIA<\/em> are as follows, in order of importance in terms of making the ATIA<\/em> effective:<\/p>\n

  1. Expand the ATIA<\/em> to cover any organization that performs a public function or receives significant public funding;<\/li>\n
  2. Expand the ATIA<\/em> to cover the Prime Minister\u2019s Office and Cabinet Ministers\u2019 offices;<\/li>\n
  3. Require all government institutions and organizations covered by the ATIA<\/em> to create detailed records of all actions and decisions;<\/li>\n
  4. Expand the requirement to proactively publish records in Part 2 of the ATIA<\/em>, and give the Information Commissioner the power to do disclosure audits;<\/li>\n
  5. Narrow down the huge loopholes in the ATIA<\/em> that allow advice to Cabinet and Cabinet confidences to be kept secret, and narrow down all other exemptions and exclusions, and give the Information Commissioner the power to review all requested records to prevent abuse;<\/li>\n
  6. Set strict time limits in the ATIA<\/em> on all extensions that go beyond the requirement to disclose records within 30 days of receiving a request;<\/li>\n
  7. Add a public interest override (as in Alberta and B.C.) to the ATIA<\/em> to ensure public interest information is always disclosed;<\/li>\n
  8. Increase resources, training and technology support for ATI officers, and eliminate the $5 request fee;<\/li>\n
  9. Significantly reduce the 20-year period during which Cabinet records and other information can be kept secret, including creating a system for declassifying records that have been designated as \u201cclassified\u201d and;<\/li>\n
  10. Allow people from outside Canada to file requests for information.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n

    Despite committing to make government information \u201copen by default\u201d in their 2015 federal election platform, the Trudeau Liberals have broken almost all of their open government promises<\/a><\/span>, and have shown little interest in strengthening the ATIA<\/em>. The Liberals made no ATIA<\/em> promises in their 2021 election platform<\/a><\/span>, and made no commitments in their new National Action Plan<\/a><\/span> for the international Open Government Partnership process<\/a><\/span>. Also, Treasury Board Minister Mona Fortier\u2019s statement<\/a><\/span> on the release of yesterday\u2019s report commits only to a \u201creview of access to information\u201d not to making changes.<\/p>\n\n

    The Trudeau Cabinet\u2019s Bill C-58<\/a><\/span> changing the federal Access to Information Act<\/em> ignored many of the recommendations<\/a><\/span> made in the unanimous June 2016 report<\/a><\/span> of the House of Commons Access, Privacy and Ethics Committee, and was actually a step backwards<\/a><\/span> in some ways.<\/p>\n\n

    Democracy Watch and its Open Government Coalition<\/a><\/span> have been pushing to strengthen the Access to Information Act<\/em><\/a><\/span> for years, including through a global coalition open letter<\/a><\/span> in 2017, as have opposition MPs and the Information Commissioner<\/a><\/span>. Democracy Watch\u2019s coalitions have also been pushing for years for key transparency and integrity changes to the federal Lobbying Act<\/em><\/a><\/span>, Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act<\/em><\/a><\/span>, and Conflict of Interest Act<\/em><\/a><\/span> and related MP and Senate ethics rules<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n\n

    \u201cThe Trudeau Liberals broke most of their promises to close loopholes in Canada\u2019s open government law, and strengthen transparency rules for government spending, and they have done nothing to strengthen protections for whistleblowers who report government wrongdoing nor to close loopholes that allow secret lobbying and secret investments by politicians, staff and Cabinet appointees,\u201d<\/em> said Conacher.<\/p>\n\n

    – 30 –<\/p>\n

    FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:<\/strong>
    Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch
    Tel: (613) 241-5179
    Cell: 416-546-3443
    Email:     info@democracywatch.ca<\/a><\/p>\n

    Democracy Watch\u2019s Open Government Campaign<\/a><\/span>, Protect Whistleblowers Campaign<\/a><\/span>, Government Ethics Campaign<\/a><\/p>\n\n

    Liberals also need to make other key open government changes to end secret lobbying, end secret investments by politicians, their staff and Cabinet appointees, and strengthen whistleblower protection<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:<\/b>
    Thursday, December 23, 2021<\/p>\n\n

    OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch responded to the report released by the Trudeau government yesterday afternoon containing the results of its public consultation on the Access to Information Act<\/em> (ATIA<\/em>)<\/a><\/span>. The report is a loud and clear call from all stakeholder groups and the public for key changes to close loopholes in the ATIA<\/em> and strengthen the Information Commissioner\u2019s enforcement powers.<\/p>\n\n

    \u201cThe public and experts have loudly and clearly called once again, as they have for decades, for key changes to close loopholes in the federal access to information law, and strengthen enforcement,\u201d<\/em> said Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch. \u201cThe Trudeau Liberals must now stop their spin, lame excuses and unjustifiable delays and introduce a bill as soon as Parliament opens again in February to make the key changes that voters want to strengthen the access to information law and enforcement.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n

    \u201cThe federal access to information law is so full of loopholes that it really is just a guide to keeping information secret that the public has a right to know, and the key changes that the public is calling for will, if the Trudeau government implements them, make the law more effective,\u201d<\/em> said Conacher.<\/p>\n\n

    The changes loudly and clearly called for in the report on the Trudeau government\u2019s public consultation on the ATIA<\/em> are as follows, in order of importance in terms of making the ATIA<\/em> effective:<\/p>\n

    1. Expand the ATIA<\/em> to cover any organization that performs a public function or receives significant public funding;<\/li>\n
    2. Expand the ATIA<\/em> to cover the Prime Minister\u2019s Office and Cabinet Ministers\u2019 offices;<\/li>\n
    3. Require all government institutions and organizations covered by the ATIA<\/em> to create detailed records of all actions and decisions;<\/li>\n
    4. Expand the requirement to proactively publish records in Part 2 of the ATIA<\/em>, and give the Information Commissioner the power to do disclosure audits;<\/li>\n
    5. Narrow down the huge loopholes in the ATIA<\/em> that allow advice to Cabinet and Cabinet confidences to be kept secret, and narrow down all other exemptions and exclusions, and give the Information Commissioner the power to review all requested records to prevent abuse;<\/li>\n
    6. Set strict time limits in the ATIA<\/em> on all extensions that go beyond the requirement to disclose records within 30 days of receiving a request;<\/li>\n
    7. Add a public interest override (as in Alberta and B.C.) to the ATIA<\/em> to ensure public interest information is always disclosed;<\/li>\n
    8. Increase resources, training and technology support for ATI officers, and eliminate the $5 request fee;<\/li>\n
    9. Significantly reduce the 20-year period during which Cabinet records and other information can be kept secret, including creating a system for declassifying records that have been designated as \u201cclassified\u201d and;<\/li>\n
    10. Allow people from outside Canada to file requests for information.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n

      Despite committing to make government information \u201copen by default\u201d in their 2015 federal election platform, the Trudeau Liberals have broken almost all of their open government promises<\/a><\/span>, and have shown little interest in strengthening the ATIA<\/em>. The Liberals made no ATIA<\/em> promises in their 2021 election platform<\/a><\/span>, and made no commitments in their new National Action Plan<\/a><\/span> for the international Open Government Partnership process<\/a><\/span>. Also, Treasury Board Minister Mona Fortier\u2019s statement<\/a><\/span> on the release of yesterday\u2019s report commits only to a \u201creview of access to information\u201d not to making changes.<\/p>\n\n

      The Trudeau Cabinet\u2019s Bill C-58<\/a><\/span> changing the federal Access to Information Act<\/em> ignored many of the recommendations<\/a><\/span> made in the unanimous June 2016 report<\/a><\/span> of the House of Commons Access, Privacy and Ethics Committee, and was actually a step backwards<\/a><\/span> in some ways.<\/p>\n\n

      Democracy Watch and its Open Government Coalition<\/a><\/span> have been pushing to strengthen the Access to Information Act<\/em><\/a><\/span> for years, including through a global coalition open letter<\/a><\/span> in 2017, as have opposition MPs and the Information Commissioner<\/a><\/span>. Democracy Watch\u2019s coalitions have also been pushing for years for key transparency and integrity changes to the federal Lobbying Act<\/em><\/a><\/span>, Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act<\/em><\/a><\/span>, and Conflict of Interest Act<\/em><\/a><\/span> and related MP and Senate ethics rules<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n\n

      \u201cThe Trudeau Liberals broke most of their promises to close loopholes in Canada\u2019s open government law, and strengthen transparency rules for government spending, and they have done nothing to strengthen protections for whistleblowers who report government wrongdoing nor to close loopholes that allow secret lobbying and secret investments by politicians, staff and Cabinet appointees,\u201d<\/em> said Conacher.<\/p>\n\n

      – 30 –<\/p>\n

      FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:<\/strong>
      Duff Conacher, Co-founder of Democracy Watch
      Tel: (613) 241-5179
      Cell: 416-546-3443
      Email:       info@democracywatch.ca<\/a><\/p>\n

      Democracy Watch\u2019s Open Government Campaign<\/a><\/span>, Protect Whistleblowers Campaign<\/a><\/span>, Government Ethics Campaign<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Liberals also need to make other key open government changes to end secret lobbying, end secret investments by politicians, their staff and Cabinet appointees, and strengthen whistleblower protection FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Thursday, December 23, 2021 OTTAWA – Today, Democracy Watch responded to the report released by the Trudeau government yesterday afternoon containing the results of its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13854"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18392,"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13854\/revisions\/18392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/democracywatch.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}