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![]() ![]() Federal Accountability Action Plan
Strengthening access to information legislationDelivering on our commitments
In 2004-05, the Government of Canada received 25,207 requests under the Access to Information Act. Why we are doing thisAccess to government information allows Canadians and organizations to participate more fully in public policy development and better assess the Government of Canada’s performance in order to hold it to account. The Government must instil the public trust and respect the public interest by encouraging the greatest degree of openness and transparency, while taking into account legitimate concerns such as personal privacy, commercial confidentiality, and protection of intergovernmental affairs. The Access to Information Act became law in 1983. The legislation is based on a number of principles: that effective accountability depends on knowing the information and options available to government decision makers; that government documents often contain information vital to the effective participation of citizens and organizations in public policy development; that government is the single most important storehouse of information about our society, and that, as a public resource, this information should be made available wherever possible; that necessary exceptions to the right of access should be limited and specific; and that decisions on the disclosure of government information should be reviewed independent of government. Since the Access to Information Act became law, much has changed in the federal government, in Canada, and around the world. Accordingly, there have been numerous calls for reform of the Access to Information Act, most recently from the Information Commissioner, who in September 2005 proposed a series of changes to the Act to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. The Federal Accountability Act will introduce the following changes:
In addition, we will:
The Access to Information Act is a complex piece of legislation, with a broad constituency across many sectors of society and widely divergent views on its administration. The Information Commissioner’s proposed amendments, for example, would require more than 88 changes or additions to 46 provisions of the Access to Information Act. When the Information Commissioner appeared before the Standing Committee, he advised them that his recommendations had not had the benefit of consultations with stakeholders. A separate process will allow the parliamentary committee to engage in a comprehensive debate in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, and to issue a report when it reaches the end of its deliberations. This approach is necessary to balance the value of transparency with the legitimate interests of individuals, other governments, and third parties in the security and confidentiality of their dealings with government. It will also allow for diverse views to be heard, and for the resulting legislation to find broad support after comprehensive analysis and full debate. What this means for CanadiansBy expanding the coverage of the Access to Information Act, the Government will become more transparent and more open. It will provide Canadians with access to more information from Crown corporations, Agents of Parliament, and government-funded foundations. At the same time, the Government will explore ways to further strengthen access to information legislation in consultation with parliamentarians and Canadians to ensure that their concerns receive careful attention. Doing so will ensure a measured approach to access reform that will allow the Government to widen access while mitigating costs and unintended consequences on stakeholders, partners, and government programs.
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