Key Messages
Impact as Information Commissioner
To ensure that Canadians’ right of access to information was upheld, I focussed on results:
- Streamlined the complaint and investigations process to keep pace with increased
- Inventory of complaints whose age is measured in months, not years.
- Publication of important guidance documents as well as final reports.
- Several hundred orders, some of which will play an important role in future jurisprudence.
Plans for the Future
Renewal represents stability. I will continue to focus on results, maintain productivity, and advocate for changes within the system:
- Importance of transparency by default, leadership, necessary resources and technological innovations for the system.
- Need for legislative changes.
- Need for independent funding mechanism for my office.
- Need to examine implications of emerging technology and AI for the access system.
Priorities if new mandate
- Make progress against the inventory in order to ensure that files can be assigned as soon as possible.
- Seek efficiencies in the face of budgetary pressures.
- Issue guidance and orders; go to court to enforce orders.
- Advocate for improvements to the system, including in the upcoming review.
Legislative Reform
Upcoming Review of the Act is a top priority. I will build and expand on my January 2021 recommendations and the work of ETHI (June 2023 report on the state of Canada’s Access to Information System):
- Policy and legislative changes recommended based on experience and endorsed by stakeholders, including some of the powers granted to me in the latest amendments to the Act, now that they have been used for the past five years.
- I will continue to press for long-overdue improvements, including:
- broaden the application of the Access to Information Act to include the offices of the Prime Minister and ministers;
- subject Cabinet confidences to the Act;
- limit the application of certain exemptions, such as section 21, which relates to advice and recommendations and add a public interest override provision;
- set out a maximum length of time for consultations needed to respond to access requests.