Trudeau Liberals ask public for advice on updating Access to Information law

OTTAWA – The Trudeau Liberals are asking the public for views on reforming the key federal transparency law, which the government acknowledges is sorely outdated.

The government says the ideas for improving the Access to Information Act, which has changed little since 1983, will help officials prepare a report for the Treasury Board president due early next year.

The review, announced last June, was greeted with skepticism by open-government proponents, who noted that numerous reports on reforming the access law have been ignored over the years.

The law allows people who pay $5 to ask for a range of federal documents, but it has been widely criticized as antiquated and poorly managed.

The government wants suggestions on the legislative framework, improving service and reducing delays, and opportunities to make information openly available without an access request.

People can submit views online at https://atiareview.ca/ or by emailing reviewingATIA.revisionLAI@tbs-sct.gc.ca if they do not want the submission to be made public.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 1, 2021.