Submission to the Special Committee to Review the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

In a democratic society it is critical that there be a free exchange of ideas with respect to policies chosen by government. Such a free exchange of ideas must be informed by information that frequently is only produced and held by government. Access to information laws are critical because they establish the public’s right to timely access to information. Yet all too frequently, governments do their best to avoid transparency and accountability by denying or delaying requests for information. Drawing on the CCPA-BC’s own experiences with such tactics, this submission makes recommendations for strengthening BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act in the public interest.