By Canadian Press

Liberal minister promises plan on Access to Information as MPs highlight woes

Apr 18, 2023 | 2:41 PM

OTTAWA — Treasury Board President Mona Fortier says she hopes to share a plan in coming months for improving the key federal transparency law and how it is managed.

Fortier is telling a House of Commons committee today she expects the plan for making the Access to Information Act more effective will come before the end of the year.

MPs are peppering Fortier with questions at a meeting about the much-maligned access regime.

For a $5 fee, people can use the access law to ask for a range of federal documents — from internal emails and invoices to briefing notes and policy memos — but it has long been criticized as outdated and poorly implemented.

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

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

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2023.

The Canadian Press