The Information Commissioner of Canada has launched a public consultation on access-to-information legislation. The consultation, which is open until December 21, 2012, invites comments on a wide range of issues including right of access, coverage of the Act, limitations, and cabinet confidences.
Post Tagged with: "access to information"
Government Launches Open Gov Initiative
One day after formally launching a Canadian open data portal, the federal governmental on Friday unveiled a new Open Government initative. The Open Gov initiative includes three prongs: open data, open information, and open dialogue. The most noteworthy change is a new requirement that all government departments must proactively release […]
Study Ranks Canada Last on Access to Information
A new study comparing five parliamentary democracies ranks Canada last on the effectiveness of its access to information legislation.
UK Government to Make Access to Info Data Machine Readable
The UK government has promised to make its access to information responses machine readable. All data released under that country’s Freedom of Information Act will be reusable and in machine readable format.
Open Government Moving in Parallel But Opposite Directions
Suzanne Legault, Canada’s Interim Information Commissioner, and Michael Mulley, a Montreal-based software programmer, may occupy different worlds, but my weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes that last week both placed an important spotlight on open and transparent government.
Legault is responsible for administering the Access to Information Act and last week her office warned that inadequate resources and lengthy delays were causing enormous damage to access to information rights in Canada. Legault released a 154-page report that gave below average or failing grades to the majority of the 24 government departments she reviewed.
The implication of a broken access to information system extends to virtually every policy area. For example, Canadian Heritage and Industry Canada typically lead on policies involving broadcasting and new media. While Industry Canada received a solid "B" grade, handling a 93% increase in requests relatively smoothly, the first review for Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore’s department yielded an "F" grade.
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