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The Access
to Information Act gives Canadian citizens the right to access
information in federal government records. The Privacy
Act provides citizens with the right to access personal information held
by the government and protection of that information against unauthorized use
and disclosure. The President of the Treasury Board is the Minister responsible
for government-wide administration of the legislation. This includes issuing to
the public a directory of federal government information and related guides
known as Info
Source. The Secretariat, as the lead agency, co-operates with the Department
of Justice in the area of legislative amendments and with the Privy Council
Office regarding Cabinet confidences. The Secretariat also initiates and
facilitates consultations with the Offices of the Information and Privacy
Commissioners on policy matters.
As part of the group of Info Source publications, materials exist to assist
the Access to Information and Privacy community. Info
Source: Sources of Federal Employee Information will help you, as a current
or former federal employee, to locate your personal information held by the
government. The annual Info
Source Bulletin contains statistics of requests made under the Access to
Information Act and the Privacy Act, and summaries of federal
court cases.
Reference tools for the ATIP community consists of:
Treasury Board policies on access and privacy reinforce
information management principles inherent in the Management
of Government Information Policy and the Security
Policy. They support the objectives of "duty to inform",
"routine disclosure" and "service to the public" which are
fundamental concepts within the Communications
Policy.
Deputy Ministers and Heads of Agencies are responsible for
ensuring that their organizations comply with Access to Information and Privacy
legislation. In addition, the Minister of the Treasury Board co-ordinates
administration of the Acts by preparing and distributing policies and guidelines
to help institutions interpret the laws and to assist them in their application
on high profile issues.
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