QPL Articles
Bills on Access to Information, national security measures to cap spring sitting of Parliament
By Jonathan Ablett | June 27, 2017
The Canadian government plans to amend the legislation on Access to Information and national security.
The planned amendments include giving the information commissioner the power to order release of government records and ensuring the access law applies to the offices of the prime minister, cabinet members and administrative institutions that support Parliament and the courts. The bill to be introduced Monday, June 19, 2017 could be the first substantial set of amendments to the access law in 34 years. The government has also promised a full review of the law by 2018, and mandatory reviews every five years thereafter.
The current system has been almost universally criticized as slow, out of date and plagued by loopholes that allow agencies to cling to information, including files more than half-a-century old.
On Tuesday, June 20, 2017, the government plans to remodel several anti-terrorism measures and introduce new provisions with a bill titled “An Act respecting national security measures.”
In addition to new scrutiny for the Canada Border Services Agency, the bill will propose changes to ensure existing security watchdogs can exchange information and collaborate more easily on reviews.
The legislation aims to strike a balance that ensures security agencies have the tools they need to keep Canadians safe, while respecting the rights and freedoms of a democratic society.
See more at globalnews.ca/