Newly launched Access to Information review is flawed, transparency advocates say

A newly launched federal review of the Access to Information system is being greeted with deep skepticism by transparency advocates.

The Treasury Board Secretariat announced the government review, which takes place every five years, in a news release late Friday.

The release says officials will seek input from a broad range of Canadians, Indigenous groups, experts and other interested people in the coming weeks and months.

For a $5 fee, people can use the access law to ask for federal documents — anything from internal emails to policy memos — but the law is widely seen as out of date and poorly administered. 

Several concerned groups and individuals recently said the review should be overseen by an independent panel — not the government — to avoid a conflict of interest.

University of Ottawa professor Matt Malone, who was among those advocating an independent review, says the exercise is flawed from the start and will waste precious government resources.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby