For immediate release
8 January 2021
The NL NDP Caucus has a simple solution to Executive Council’s submission to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Statutory Review Committee 2020 to reduce the volume of requests they receive.
“I was shocked to see Executive Council recommendations focused on making it harder for people to access information about the goings on of our provincial government,” said Coffin. “The solution to Executive Council’s concerns about the volume of ATIPP requests they face is simple – be more transparent.”
Included in the submission from Executive Council were recommendations that the Liberal Government be permitted to impose fees to reduce the volume of access to information requests they receive, and extend legislated deadlines to slow the release of information to the public. Coffin views these recommendations as regressive and are reminiscent of the Dunderdale administration’s drafting of Bill 29 which aimed to implement restrictive and regressive access to information legislation.
“These suggestions by Executive Council present as an attempt to further hide government activities in a shroud of secrecy that reminds us of Dunderdale’s Bill 29,” said Coffin. “In 2021, we should not be making it harder for the public to gain access to the activities of their government. These recommendations are a step backwards, that much is clear.”
-30-
For further information, contact Eddy St. Coeur, Director of Communications, NDP Caucus at 729-2137 (o), or eddystcoeur@gov.nl.ca