Flanked by five B.C. Conservative lawmakers, Carson Binda of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation delivered a petition to the legislature on Wednesday with 10,000 signatures opposing a government bill that would allow officials more leeway to delay freedom of information requests.
Binda called for politicians of all parties to stand up and oppose the bill.
“It waters down the government’s requirement to respond to freedom of information requests without delay, leaving it up to the government to decide what’s reasonable,” he told reporters on the steps of the B.C. legislature on Wednesday, April 22.
Bill 9, the Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection Amendment Act, expands the authority of public officials to refuse information requests if complying would be too difficult or interfere with government operations.
The government counters that changes are needed to increase flexibility in timelines and prevent malicious requests, especially as the volume of information captured has increased in recent years due to the expansion of digital communications.
Binda’s group is a frequent requester of internal government information and often releases findings to the media, such as the recent $165,000 coffee stunt that was part of U.S. health worker recruitment efforts, or the amount of money being spent on vehicles for deputy ministers.
“It’s no surprise that Premier [David] Eby and his cabinet are attacking our right to know because a number of high-profile spending scandals have shaken taxpayers’ faith in this government,” he said.
But Citizens’ Service Minister Diana Gibson has defended the proposed changes, saying they introduce “practical efficiencies” into the system and are needed to allow the government to respond, considering the reams of data involved.
And B.C. Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey has backed the bill, saying in a written statement that he was consulted on the bill and is “encouraged” that the system will allow for quicker service.
But transparency advocates and opposition lawmakers are not supportive of the changes. B.C. Conservative Citizens’ Services Critic Jody Toor says the bill is being sold as a small, administrative amendment, but that is disingenuous.
“Bill 9 hands this government sweeping new powers to delay, discard, or outright refuse your freedom of information requests,” she said.
Bill 9 is currently at second reading and will need to pass that and the committee stage, where it can be amended, before being brought to a final vote.