N.S. information commissioner says government bill threatens right to access records - Halifax | Globalnews.ca

Nova Scotia’s outgoing Freedom of Information Commissioner, Tricia Ralph, urges the government to withdraw legislative amendments that she argues severely weaken public access to government records. The proposed changes would permit departments to reject requests deemed trivial or frivolous and require applicants to provide specific details, such as exact times or locations. Ralph warns these broad criteria create excessive barriers for citizens and undermine the fundamental principle of government accountability, posing a significant risk to citizens' rights. The controversy centers on the shift in authority to define "vexatious" requests from an independent commissioner to civil servants. Critics, including legal experts and opposition leaders, argue this empowers departments to arbitrarily deny legitimate inquiries and silences public scrutiny. By allowing officials to second-guess the validity of citizen efforts, the legislation risks suppressing transparency and fostering a culture of secrecy, where access to information becomes contingent on bureaucratic interpretation rather than statutory right. This issue is highly relevant to open data because it highlights the political tension between transparency initiatives and government control over information flow. If these amendments pass, they could effectively restrict the availability of public datasets and documents, making it harder for researchers, journalists, and citizens to obtain the raw data necessary for independent analysis. Protecting open data requires robust legal frameworks that prevent administrative gatekeeping, ensuring that public records remain accessible and usable for the broader community.

Source: globalnews.ca
Published on 2025-02-26

N.S. information commissioner says government bill threatens right to access records - Halifax | Globalnews.ca

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