Canada's Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault released her report 'Striking the Right Balance for Transparency-Recommendations to modernize the Access to Information Act' Tuesday, March 31, 2015.
Photo Credit: Sean Kilpatrick/CP

Canada’s Information Commissioner finds erosion of access to information, ‘culture of secrecy’

“There has been a steady erosion of access to information rights in Canada over the last 30 years” says Canada’s Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault. “Although the Act was intended to shine a light on government decisions, it has become a shield against transparency and has encouraged a culture of delay.”

In the report “Striking the Right Balance for Transparency-Recommendations to modernize the Access to Information Act” released Tuesday (March 31) Commissioner Legault calls for a modernization of the Access to Information Act which was adopted in 1982. But she cautions, “A modern Act will only succeed, however, if there is a concomitant change in institutional culture from secrecy to openness, from delay to timeliness.”

RCI’s Wojtek Gwiazda has a report.

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More information:
Information Commissioner report – Striking the Right Balance for Transparency–Recommendations to modernize the Access to Information Act – here
Information Commissioner press release – Stopping the erosion of access to information in Canada – here

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