Employee ‘misused’ word not enough for City to withhold information: privacy commissioner
The province’s privacy commissioner has determined the City of Prince Albert incorrectly applied parts of The Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) while responding to an access to information request earlier this year.
Ronald Kruzeniski found the city erred when determining that certain parts of an email chain between city staffers should be withheld.
On Dec. 15, 2017, the city received a request for information regarding email chains relating to tender submissions for a Wireless Communication Equipment Tender from 2017. The city responded to the applicant in a letter on Jan. 12, 2018. It granted access to portions of some records but denied access to others per subsections that govern what information can and cannot be held back while fulfilling requests.
Under the act, subsection 18 dictates that local authorities are within their right to withhold records should it contain financial, commercial, scientific, technical or labour relations information that was supplied in confidence.