NEWS RELEASE |
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GREATER FLEXIBILITY IMPROVES FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
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VICTORIA – Government has introduced legislation to further strengthen the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and increase flexibility, Management Services Minister Sandy Santori announced today.
"British Columbia's freedom of information and protection of privacy legislation is already considered among the most open and strongest on privacy protection and information access in Canada," said Santori. "These amendments will serve to make what is already a good act even better."
Santori said the legislation will lead to increased flexibility in complying with requests for information through more manageable timeline requirements and allowing the privacy commissioner to manage more cost-effectively within new budgetary requirements.
The amendments respond to recommendations from a 1999 all-party special committee of the legislature. The committee held extensive public hearings and received over 100 submissions on how to improve the language and management of the legislation. Other committee recommendations will be addressed through future legislative changes.
The amendments allow for new public bodies to be automatically added under the coverage of the act. They also call for the establishment of a personal information directory, the first of its kind in Canada, and mechanisms to help public bodies respond to requests in a timely manner. This will provide for more information to be made available under the act.
Improved flexibility in meeting timelines and determining the focus of requests is designed to result in appropriate requests being processed more efficiently and more cost-effectively. The amendments strengthen the commissioner's capacity to deem some requests as inappropriate, thereby freeing up resources to deal with other requests. The amendments also call for legislative review every six years to provide the public with input.
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Contact: |
Christine Ash Communications, Management Services 250 387-4470 |
Chris Norman Director, CPIA Branch 250 387-1346 |
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Visit the province's Web site at http://www.gov.bc.ca/ for online information and services. |
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