Info boss says B.C. isn’t writing down key decisions to avoid public scrutiny

VICTORIA – B.C.’s information commissioner says the Liberal government isn’t documenting some key decisions, allowing it to avoid public scrutiny under freedom of information laws.

Elizabeth Denham conducted an investigation into the increasing number of FOI responses that found there were no documents in government files.

In particular, Denham received several complaints from journalists when requests for information on the resignation of Premier Christy Clark’s chief of staff, Ken Boessenkool, failed to turn up a single document.

Denham says the government is increasingly doing business verbally to avoid scrutiny, but a citizen’s right to access government records is a fundamental element of our democracy.

Despite Clark’s promises to “rebuild trust” and open government after she took office, Denham’s investigation found 45 per cent of all requests to her office failed to find a paper trail of any kind.

The commissioner makes six recommendations, including a legislative requirement to document key decisions.