Latest news with #TheAccesstoInformationAct
Edmonton Journal
3 days ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Information and privacy commissioner says Alberta rejected of her two recommendations
Alberta's information and privacy commissioner says she is prepared to investigate the province's response to access to information requests, should it continue to ignore two recommendations her office made earlier this year. Article content In May, Information and Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod published a report that followed a 21-month investigation into how the province was handling requests made under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP). Article content Article content Article content She found that 27 government departments relied on policies that broke FOIP laws, and issued a report with multiple recommendations to make responses to requests compliant with the legislation. Article content Article content 'I am pleased that the government has accepted most of my recommendations and either has implemented or is in the process of implementing them,' said McLeod. 'However, I was disappointed to read that the government is not accepting two of the recommendations.' Article content Those two recommendations centre around the province's practice of limiting the number of topics in an access to information request, and splitting requests with multiple topics into several new requests at the cost of more fees. Article content Article content McLeod said she wants to know if the government is still pursuing those policies under new legislation, The Access to Information Act (ATIA), which came into force on June 11 and superseded the FOIP Act. Article content 'I will be monitoring requests for review coming into my office concerning Government of Alberta public bodies to determine whether this activity is still occurring under ATIA,' McLeod said. Article content 'If I find this to be the case, I will investigate under ATIA to determine whether the government public bodies are permitted to require applicants to split access requests and their rationale for the same.' Article content In a statement, the office of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally said his department respects McLeod's role but that his job is 'to get Albertans the information they request, quickly, lawfully, and efficiently.'
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Information and privacy commissioner says Alberta rejected of her two recommendations
Alberta's information and privacy commissioner says she is prepared to investigate the province's response to access to information requests, should it continue to ignore two recommendations her office made earlier this year. Article content In May, Information and Privacy Commissioner Diane McLeod published a report that followed a 21-month investigation into how the province was handling requests made under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP). Article content Article content Article content She found that 27 government departments relied on policies that broke FOIP laws, and issued a report with multiple recommendations to make responses to requests compliant with the legislation. Article content Article content 'I am pleased that the government has accepted most of my recommendations and either has implemented or is in the process of implementing them,' said McLeod. 'However, I was disappointed to read that the government is not accepting two of the recommendations.' Article content Those two recommendations centre around the province's practice of limiting the number of topics in an access to information request, and splitting requests with multiple topics into several new requests at the cost of more fees. Article content Article content McLeod said she wants to know if the government is still pursuing those policies under new legislation, The Access to Information Act (ATIA), which came into force on June 11 and superseded the FOIP Act. Article content 'I will be monitoring requests for review coming into my office concerning Government of Alberta public bodies to determine whether this activity is still occurring under ATIA,' McLeod said. Article content 'If I find this to be the case, I will investigate under ATIA to determine whether the government public bodies are permitted to require applicants to split access requests and their rationale for the same.' Article content In a statement, the office of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally said his department respects McLeod's role but that his job is 'to get Albertans the information they request, quickly, lawfully, and efficiently.'
