A recent call by Wildrose Olds-Didsbury-Three-Hills MLA Bruce Rowe for the province's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) process to be “de-politicized” is right on the mark.
Rowe said recent reports that more and more FOIP requests are being returned to applicants with the message that “records do not exist” is clear evidence that the PC government is “continuing to compromise the integrity” of the act.
“These numbers support what we've known for a long time,” said Rowe. “The PCs have a history of mishandling, underreporting and interfering with FOIP applications.
“The rules surrounding FOIP are clearly outlined and backed by the force of law. Within those rules, citizens have the right to receive all information they request in an inexpensive, fair and timely manner. But this isn't happening.”
There are two objectives of the FOIP act: “To ensure that public bodies are open and accountable to the public by providing a right of access to records and to protect the privacy of individuals by controlling the manner in which public bodies collect, use and disclose personal information.”
The act defines public bodies as including a “department, branch or office of the government of Alberta.”
The FOIP Act is one of the chief ways that ordinary citizens, opposition parties, the media and other stakeholders can find out what information the government has in its possession.
As such, FOIP is vitally important in terms of ensuring that the government is kept open and accountable to citizens.
MLA Rowe's call for more openness in the FOIP process comes as Alberta's Privacy Commissioner Jill Clayton plans to look at that process as part of an ongoing investigation into Alberta's freedom of information system.
“I have concerns if important decisions are being made and records are not being kept,” Clayton reportedly said. “Especially if there is some sort of attempt to evade a request for access. You know, ‘We are not going to write something down because somebody might ask us for it'. That's not how you do good government.”
Rowe said he's “confident the FOIP process will be reformed in Alberta”, but he's doubtful that can happen under this PC government.
“They see it as a tool at their disposal. It's a habit they just can't break. The PC government should do the right thing and de-politicize the FOIP process in Alberta, now.”
The FOIP Act is in place to ensure that government is open and accountable. As such, MLA Rowe is right to call for changes to ensure that it functions without political interference.
