The complainant alleged that the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) had improperly withheld information under paragraph 18(a) (government trade secrets, government financial, commercial, scientific or technical information), paragraph 18(b) (competitive position of government institutions, negotiations by government institutions), paragraph 20(1)(b) (confidential third-party financial, commercial, scientific or technical information), paragraph 21(1)(a) (advice or recommendations) and paragraph 21(1)(b) (accounts of consultations or deliberations) of the Access to Information Act. This was in response to an access request for records related to the development and significant policy changes to the Canada Mortgage Bonds (CMB) program, as well as risk assessment for the CMB and the National Housing Act Mortgage-Backed Securities (NHA MBS) programs. The complaint falls within paragraph 30(1)(a) of the Act.

The scope of the complaint was reduced to remove instances where paragraph 20(1)(b) was applied to withhold certain third-party information.

During the investigation, CMHC invoked paragraph 68(a) to withhold some third-party information available for purchase. CMHC also disclosed some information it had withheld under paragraphs 18(a), 18(b), 21(1)(a) and 21(1)(b). CMHC showed that it met all of the requirements of these exemptions where it maintained them.

The third parties whose information remained at issue did not provide any representations and CMHC could not show that it met all the requirements of paragraph 20(1)(b).

The Information Commissioner ordered that CMHC disclose all information at issue withheld under paragraph 20(1)(b).

CMHC gave notice that it would implement the order.

The complaint is well founded.