By Glenn Hicks

Northern village obstructed Freedom of Information process: Privacy Commissioner

Nov 26, 2018 | 3:15 PM

The Minister of Municipal Relations is scheduled to meet the province’s Information and Privacy Commissioner Tuesday to hear what course of action may be necessary regarding the administration in the northern Village of Pinehouse.

The commissioner has recommended the government take action.

The leadership and administration, which runs the village of around 1,000 people, has come in for some sharp and public criticism from Commissioner Ronald Kruzeniski. He has described the village’s “obstruction” and lack of cooperation regarding a series of Freedom of Information requests over the past five years.

In a recent media release Kruzeniski recommended “an inspection or inquiry of the village’s obstruction” of the provincial act that governs freedom of information in local authorities.

He said his office had now issued 13 review reports involving the village since 2013 and in 12 cases responses had not been provided, or there were delays or inadequate responses. He added in 10 of these cases the village did not cooperate with his office.

Raising awareness

MADD Prince Albert launches 37th annual Project Red Ribbon

6h ago

Court proceedings

Crown stays sexual assault charge against Waskesiu business owner

10h ago

Elevate Your Self-Care Game With These Smart Lifestyle Moves

Nov 15, 2024

“My office is concerned that the mayor and the village administrator are obstructing the application of [the process] and believe that no town or village should be able to flagrantly disregard or obstruct the operation of a provincial statute,” Kruzeniski stated.

For D’Arcy Hande, a Saskatoon-based community activist and freelance writer who has been keeping his eye on municipal matters in Pinehouse since 2013, the rebuke by the privacy commissioner is welcome news. He has been behind most of the Freedom of Information requests over the last five years.

His most recent application, in August, requested information on the salary and benefits of the mayor, administrator and a city councilor. As of the commission’s latest report, which was published Nov. 19, such information had not been provided by the village.

Previous requests for information from Hande included one for details on a number of interest-free mortgages the village had offered individuals in the community, including to those who were family relations of the mayor. In that instance Hande requested information regarding what process the village council took in approving such loans.

“The implication of it all is not just for the Village of Pinehouse but for other municipalities,” Hande told paNOW. “If there is no enforcement of the Local Authority Freedom of Information Act then there’s no point to the Act, and it becomes a mockery just to go through the motions.”

Hande said the lesson for anyone who studies this situation is that “there are no consequences if you don’t comply.” He figured this had now become an important issue for the provincial government to deal with.

The minister responsible, Warren Kaeding, told reporters that he would be meeting the privacy commissioner to “understand what he (the commissioner) would recommend as a course of action.”

“It’s always troubling when he hear about concerns from the privacy commissioner so we’re taking it very seriously,” Kaeding said. “We certainly expect our municipalities to cooperate when there are requests that they are enacted to participate in.”

It was unclear if the minister would be commenting publicly following the meeting with the commissioner.

paNOW reached out to both the mayor and administrator of the Village of Pinehouse but they were not immediately available for comment.

The latest review report from the privacy commissioner indicated the village communicated it would respond to the request for salary and expense information requested by Hande by Friday, Nov. 23, 2018. That would be three months after the initial request and beyond a deadline set by the Office of the Commissioner and legislated timelines set in the Act.

Hande said Monday he had not still not received the information.

glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow