Government of Canada releases first interim report on access to information review

The Government of Canada is working to ensure access to information reflects today’s digital world and Canadians’ expectations for accessible, timely, and trustworthy information.

Today, the Honourable Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board, released the interim “What We Heard” report on the first phase of engagement and consultations undertaken as part of the review of access to information.

When Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, became law in June 2019, it introduced a requirement to review access to informationevery five years. The initial review began in June 2020.

The interim report, released today, provides a summary of the engagement with stakeholders, citizens and government institutions to date. It confirms that there are actions that can be taken separately from legislative changes to improve access to information in ways that have an immediate impact. Actions the government is taking, as set out online will tackle operational issues and leverage digital service delivery to improve how Canadians experience the access to information process.

One action includes the design and testing of a new version of the ATIP Online Request Service system that will allow users to sign on to the service, create accounts and send and retrieve their requests through this platform securely and efficiently. Budget 2021 committed significant new funding to improving and reviewing the access to information program. 

The government committed to a full and complete review of access to information and will take the necessary time to meet this commitment. Next steps include engaging with Indigenous organizations and peoples, on which the government will also report publicly in 2022.

All the input received will be reflected in the President’s review report to Parliament.  

Quotes

“The release of an interim ‘What We Heard’ report is an important step towards delivering on the access to information review and sharing what we have heard thus far. We are committed to building on the progress of Bill C-58 and are committed to a full and complete review of access to information.” 

– The Honourable Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board 

Quick facts

• In 2015, the government committed to reviewing the Access to Information Act, which had not been updated since the 1980s. Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, became law in June 2019 and introduced practical improvements to the openness and transparency of government. Bill C-58 also introduced a requirement to review access to informationevery five years to make sure it never gets out of date.
• An online Access to Information platform was launched in March 2021, where the public was able to provide submissions, register for engagement events and participate in a user experience survey. The engagement activities saw 34 submissions and over 300 survey responses, and heard from 380 participants in five public events. Public engagement activities were closed on the platform on August 15, 2021.