Newfoundland and Labrador Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey joined federal, provincial and territorial Information Commissioners and Ombudspersons in signing a joint resolution today aimed at reinforcing the public’s right to access government-held information. Commissioner Harvey is attending annual meetings with his counterparts, and this is the first resolution that Commissioners and Ombudspersons have issued this year.
Freedom of information regimes across Canada have faced persistent challenges underscoring the need to implement efficient mechanisms for providing access to records, including through proactive disclosure.
It has never been more important for Canadians to have access to official government records, including historical records, if we are to maintain confidence in our democratic institutions. In our modern digital world, disinformation and misinformation spread very quickly. Regulators are again calling upon their respective governments to modernize policies and information management practices to advance transparency and ensure the preservation and dissemination of Canada’s documentary heritage, so that all Canadians can better understand the nation’s past and present, and together chart a future path towards reconciliation.
Regulators are also calling upon federal, provincial and territorial governments to ensure the creation and retention of records to document historical facts and decisions.
Building on a joint resolution issued in 2019, the signing of this resolution by federal, provincial, and territorial Information Commissioners and Ombudspersons signals a renewed sense of urgency in a drastically changed context.
This resolution is a clarion call for federal, provincial and territorial governments to act swiftly and decisively in modernizing their respective laws, policies, and information management practices, to strengthen access to information regimes and support a culture of transparency across Canada.
Our Office recognizes that Newfoundland and Labrador has access to information laws which are among the strongest in Canada in many respects. The provincial government has indicated that amendments to ATIPPA, 2015 are on the way. We call upon the government of Newfoundland and Labrador to preserve and strengthen our legislation, and ensure that our province continues to have the strongest access to information system in Canada. Commissioner Harvey said, “Newfoundland and Labrador has been widely recognized and lauded as a leader in Canada when it comes to access to information, but there are areas where we can improve. I hope we can continue to earn our reputation as a beacon of transparency among Canadian jurisdictions.”
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Sean Murray
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709-729-6309