“Access to information is a fundamental pillar of a functioning democracy,” says Canada’s Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault in her latest annual report, and adds she feels the system is in a fragile state: “I continue to have serious concerns about the health of the system, and the resulting harm to Canadians’ right of access.”
Her report notes a 30-percent increase in complaints to the Commissioner, including about institutions unable to meet their basic obligations under the Access to Information Act and about the use of the Cabinet confidence exclusion.
Although she did mention some improvements in the system, she concluded: “Real improvement in the access system will only come from modernizing the Act – a long-overdue step that is crucial to advancing the cause of transparency and accountability in Canada.”
In her message at the beginning of the report she writes: “This decline in performance must be promptly addressed. Canadians should be concerned and speak out whenever their quasi-constitutional right of access is in jeopardy. As Commissioner, I call on senior institutional officials to step up their leadership of and commitment to access in their organizations and across government.”
More information:
Information Commissioner press release – Fragility of the access to information system – here
Information Commissioner Annual Report 2013-2014 – here
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