By Canadian Press

Overhaul transparency law by adopting long-standing calls for change, group tells MPs

Oct 26, 2022 | 12:35 PM

OTTAWA — A pro-transparency group is telling MPs to retool the Access to Information Act by dropping the application fee, imposing tighter timelines to respond to requests for files and narrowing exceptions to the law.

The changes are among 18 measures outlined by the group Democracy Watch in a submission to the House of Commons committee on information, privacy and ethics.

The federal access law allows people who pay $5 to ask for documents — from internal emails and expense claims to briefing memos and research reports — but it has long been criticized as outdated and poorly administered.

Federal agencies are supposed to respond within 30 days or provide valid reasons why more time is needed to process a request.

The law has not been significantly updated since its introduction almost 40 years ago, and many users complain of lengthy delays, heavily blacked-out documents or full denials in response to their applications.

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Democracy Watch says legislative reforms should be introduced as soon as possible, noting citizen groups and experts have called for decades for key changes to close loopholes in the law and strengthen enforcement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 26, 2022.

The Canadian Press