June 30, 2022

Winnipeg
19° C, Partly cloudy

Full Forecast

Contact Us Subscribe Manage Subscription Chat with us
Log in Create Free Account Help Chat with us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • My Account
    • Manage my Subscription
    • Change Password

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
    • Log in
    • Create Free Account
    • Help

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
  • Coronavirus Coverage
  • Replica E-Edition
    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • Community Review East
    • Community Review West
  • Above the Fold
  • Front page
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Book Club
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Manitoba's Top Employers
  • Canada
  • Local
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • World
  • Reader BridgeNEW
  • WFP EventsNEW
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Archives
  • Free Press Community Review
    • All Free Press Community Review News
    • East Edition
    • West Edition
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Classifieds
  • Contests
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • LifestylesNEW
    • All Lifestyles
    • Business Hub
    • Community
    • Drink & Dine
    • Life
    • Wellness
    • Whiskers & Wings
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Homes
    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Newsletters
  • Obituaries
  • Puzzles
  • Photo and Book store
  • More

©2022 FP Newspaper Inc.

Close
  • Quick Links

    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • Federal Election
    • Above the Fold
    • Home
    • Local
    • Canada
    • World
    • Classifieds
    • Special Coverage
    • Newsletters
    • Obituaries
    • Photo and Book store
    • Archives
    • Contests
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Content
    • Privacy Policy

    Ways to support us

    • Pay it Forward program
    • Subscribe
    • Support Faith coverage
    • Support Arts coverage
  • Replica E-Edition

    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • Community Review East
    • Community Review West

    Business

    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
  • Arts & Life

    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Sports

    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • Opinion

    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor

    Media

    • All Media
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos

    Homes

    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Canstar Community News

    • All Free Press Community Review News
    • East Edition
    • West Edition
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Coupons

    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News Café
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
The Free Press
Articles Read
Your Balance +tax
Day Pass Till
Day Pass
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Report an Error
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
    • Staff Biographies
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • Log in
    • Create Account
    • Help
    • Chat with us

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
    • My Account
    • Manage My Subscription
    • Change Password
    • Chat with us

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
Log in Create Account Contact Us
Contact Us Manage Subscription
  • Sections
  • Local
  • Arts & Life
    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Diversions
    • Environment
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Health
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Business
    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
    • Manitoba's Top Employers
  • Sports
    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Soccer
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
  • E-Edition
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
    • All Classifieds
    • Announcements
    • Automotive
    • Careers
    • Garage Sales
    • Merchandise
    • Pets
    • Real Estate
    • Rentals
    • Services
  • Lifestyles
    • Business Hub
    • Community
    • Drink & Dine
    • Life
    • Manitoba’s Top Employers
    • Wellness
    • Whiskers & Wings
    • Sponsored Articles
  • Coupons
    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print
    • Ripley's Aquariums
    • The Bay
    • Staples Canada
    • Altitude Sports
    • Nike
    • Tuango
    • Ebay Canada
    • Sport Chek
    • Roots
  • Obituaries
  • Subscribe$1.50 for 5 months
Home Canada

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Freedom of information requests languish in Ottawa

By: Dylan Robertson 
Posted: 10:46 PM CDT Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020
Last Modified: 8:50 AM CDT Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020 | Updates

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
  • Save to Read Later
Recent data show the vast majority of federal departments opted against deeming FOI requests a critical service, during the recent period of unprecedented government spending. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld</p>

Recent data show the vast majority of federal departments opted against deeming FOI requests a critical service, during the recent period of unprecedented government spending. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA — The federal government is keeping its transparency obligations on the backburner, with less than half of national agencies and departments fully processing freedom of information requests amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/10/2020 (617 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — The federal government is keeping its transparency obligations on the backburner, with less than half of national agencies and departments fully processing freedom of information requests amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data obtained by the Free Press also show the vast majority of federal departments opted against deeming FOI requests a critical service, during a time of unprecedented government spending.

"It’s pathetic," said Toby Mendel, head of the Centre for Law and Democracy, a globally respected transparency organization based in Halifax.

"If the government thought it was important, it wouldn’t be at that point. Nothing else they think is important is struggling like that, and I think it’s completely unacceptable."

Under the federal Access to Information Act, every Canadian has a right to request government records for a $5 fee. Agencies are obligated to provide the information within a month, unless it’s exempted for legal or privacy grounds.

Yet, underfunding has created years-long delays in informing Canadians about how their government spends money, the role of lobbyists in shaping regulations, and whether programs are actually working.

In mid-March, the novel coronavirus pandemic shut down nearly all government offices. A month later, an internal document shows 55 of 80 core federal agencies deemed FOI requests "not a critical service" as of the week of April 20, while another 10 deemed the requests "in part a critical service."

It meant FOI staff were at the back of the queue for getting government Internet connections set up at home.

Since then, the Treasury Board has surveyed FOI offices weekly, and found a gradual return to work — but it has never recorded more than 49 per cent of agencies back at full capacity.

As of Sept. 28, the most recent survey available, 70 of 144 agencies had fully returned to processing FOI requests. Some had ceased processing requests entirely, up until mid-July.

Mendel’s group has spent years documenting and ranking countries’ FOI systems, and has helped UNESCO craft global guidelines for how governments can maintain transparency during the pandemic.

He notes provincial governments have found ways to keep their systems functioning, and other countries have set strict criteria on how long FOI requests can be delayed.

Mendel argues a functional FOI system is needed at a time when federal and provincial governments have curtailed legislative debate and shut down inconvenient committee hearings during the pandemic.

"Accountability is of massively heightened importance at this time, given the enormous (spending) programs, or in terms of restricting our rights, which may or may not be entirely justified… and the limited operation of other accountability mechanisms," he said.

The minister in charge of FOI, Jean-Yves Duclos, was not available for an interview, but his office cited pandemic restrictions impacting governments across the world.

"The Treasury Board (of Canada) Secretariat is providing guidance to institutions to continue to make best efforts to respond to (FOI) and Privacy Act requests, in accordance with operational realities," wrote spokesman Karl Sasseville.

"Openness, transparency and accountability are guiding principles of the government."

The Free Press | Newsletter

Want to get a head start on your day?

Get the day’s breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.

Sign up for Head Start
Sign Up

Yet, Mendel said, if that was the case, many more federal agencies would be processing FOIs, as normal.

"This is a human right, under international law and also the Canadian constitution; you don’t go halfway back to rights," Mendel said.

"It just reflects the attitude of not only the public authorities, but also a large number of individual bureaucrats, that this is not an important thing. I think it speaks to their attitude about accountability."

He argues delays are understandable when decades-old paper records are archived in buildings with safety restrictions. But otherwise, he said FOI staff must be among the first to get back to their offices, and should already be given good enough technology to do their jobs from home.

 

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Download Internal federal data on freedom-of-information operations

History

Updated on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 8:50 AM CDT: Clarifies that less than half of national agencies and departments are fully processing freedom of information requests

  • Report Error
  • Submit a Tip
  • Refund
  • The Free Press is certified by

The Winnipeg Free Press invites you to share your opinion on this story in a letter to the editor. A selection of letters to the editor are published daily.

To submit a letter:
• fill out the form on this page, or
• email letters@freepress.mb.ca, or
• mail Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2X 3B6.

Letters must include the writer’s full name, address, and a daytime phone number. Letters are edited for length and clarity.

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Top