ottawa –
Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard said if she were allowed to continue working, she would by default insist on stressing the importance of transparency.
The Liberal government recently appointed Maynard, the Access to Information Act users’ ombudsman, to a further seven-year term.
For a $5 fee, people can use the Access Act to request government records ranging from emails and memos to reports and expense claims.
Federal agencies are supposed to respond within 30 days or provide a valid reason for taking more time to process your request.
Many users have complained that their applications are largely blacked out or rejected outright due to long delays and legal exemptions.
Maynard, who has served on the committee since March 2018, told the House Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics on Tuesday that he has seen firsthand how hard the staff processing requests is to make the system work. Ta.
“These people have my support, and they need and deserve the support of their leaders to bring about the change they need.”
The Access Act was introduced in 1983 and has not been fully updated since.
Civil society organizations, journalists, and citizens who participated in the last federal review called for the law to be expanded, loopholes removed, response timelines to be tightened, and resources to make the system work.
In his latest annual report, Maynard said after investigating more than 30,000 complaints, he is reminded every day how this law and the system it supports continues to fail Canadians. He said he was made to do so.
She lamented that the law’s 40th anniversary had passed with little indication that amendments to the outdated law were on the horizon.
Maynard told the commission Tuesday he will continue to push for long-overdue improvements.
“They will help make Canada a consistent world leader in transparency.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
