Carney says he's open to a review of Canada's broken access to information system

Catharine Tunney · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 25, 2025 12:07 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Liberal Leader Mark Carney says if elected he'd perpetrate to reviewing Canada's entree to accusation instrumentality — a strategy primitively created to assistance the nationalist support governments accountable, but 1 that has go bogged down to the constituent of inefficiency.  

"An nonsubjective reappraisal of that would service Canadians well, careless of the effect of the election," helium told reporters during a run halt successful Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. 

Based connected the rule that radical person a close to cognize however their taxation dollars are being used, the national government's entree instrumentality gives Canadians the right to timely and close authorities records. The instrumentality has helped journalists, researchers, academics, activists and governmental parties support the authorities of the time successful check.

The strategy is meant to beryllium user-friendly. For a $5 fee, Canadians tin petition authorities records, online, ranging from emails to memos and reports.

Federal agencies are past expected to respond wrong 30 days oregon supply a rational crushed wherefore much clip is needed to process a request. 

But successful practice, the strategy present moves astatine a glacial spot and is stalled by excessive — and sometimes unjustified — redactions. It tin sometimes instrumentality years to get information, and erstwhile a effect is sent back, users person reported heavy blacked-out documents and broad denials.

With nary notation of the Access to Information Act successful the Liberal platform, Carney was asked whether he's unfastened to improving the system.

"It's not successful the platform, it's successful my caput and truthful I volition now, against the proposal of my advisers, enactment it retired of my head," helium said.

"I bash deliberation looking astatine entree to accusation is rather important."

Carney seemed to suggest he's besides been frustrated by the system. 

"I'm blessed to perpetrate to having a reappraisal of that, due to the fact that I bash find that astatine slightest arsenic an outsider, I've been an outsider until now, and arsenic a consumer, I sometimes can't ever travel the process if you will," helium said. 

The Access to Information Act's watchdog has progressively expressed vexation with the Liberal authorities for failing to adequately betterment the strategy successful its past decennary of power. When helium was archetypal elected, erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau vowed to marque authorities "open by default."

"I americium reminded each time of the ways successful which the enactment and the strategy it supports proceed to neglect Canadians," said Information Commissioner of Canada Caroline Maynard erstwhile she released her yearly study past year. 

Maynard has repeatedly ruled against authorities departments for withholding information. 

The Conservative and NDP platforms besides did not marque explicit notation of the Access to Information Act, though some parties person called for an overhaul of the national entree to accusation system.