Statement made on 28 September 2010 by Senator Francis Fox (retired)
Hon. Francis Fox:
Honourable senators, I would like to draw the attention of the Senate to the fact that, beginning today, Canada is celebrating Right to Know Week for the fifth consecutive year.
My question for the Leader of the Government in the Senate has to do with this sector, which plays a key role in Canadian democracy.
In April 2010, the Information Commissioner of Canada released a special report to Parliament entitled Out of Time, which addresses the systemic issues affecting access to information in Canada.
In that report, the Commissioner stated, and I quote:
. . . delays continue to be the Achilles' heel of the access to information system. . . Chronic delays are generating an increasing number of complaints, which compound the pressure on institutions, particularly those that are under-resourced.
She added:
. . . delays threaten to render the entire access regime irrelevant in our current information economy.
Can the Leader of the Government in the Senate tell us about the action her government has taken following the publication of that report, in order to solve the systemic problems with delays and the constant increase in the delays, which are undermining the access to information system in Canada?
Please click here to read the full text of the Senator's question