N.S. election: Liberals only commit to reviewing weak powers of information czar
Nova Scotia Liberal Leader Iain Rankin is only committing to review the weak powers of the province's information commissioner but his rivals are promising to give her office some legal teeth.
Advocates for freedom of information have long argued the authority of the commissioner's office is too weak because it lacks so-called "order-making powers."
Those powers would force the public agency to contest the commissioner's decisions in court instead of that burden falling on citizens.
Applicants have had to go though complex and expensive court proceedings in recent years to enforce decisions to release public information.
The NDP and the Progressive Conservatives say that if they are elected in the Aug. 17 election, they will make information commissioner Tricia Ralph an independent officer of the legislature with order-making powers.
Rankin, however, promised Friday to having his justice minister review and modernize the legislation on public information.
Former Liberal premier Stephen McNeil in 2013 had promised to grant the commissioner order-making powers but never fulfilled that pledge, calling it a "mistake."
Rankin said if elected, he's committed to having more "up-to-date legislation that allows easier access to public information."
"What I committed to, which is in the mandate letter to (Justice Minister Randy Delorey), is a full, comprehensive review to legislation that hasn't been amended in decades," he told reporters.
"The review will come out with specific recommendations and we'll accept every one of them."
Tory Leader Tim Houston has tied the issue to an alleged lack of Liberal transparency. He said the Liberal government -- unlike other provincial governments -- hasn't found a way to allow the legislature to sit during the pandemic or to allow the public accounts committee to fully operate during the health crisis.
"All of these things are stains on this government because they all undercut democracy and every time you undercut democracy you turn people off from democracy," Houston told reporters last week. "People think, 'It just doesn't matter."'
"A Progressive Conservative government is one that will have the courage to be held accountable by the people," he added. "It is one that will be transparent. That means giving order-making ability to the commissioner."
NDP Leader Gary Burrill says his party would be different from the Liberals on the issue of access to public information.
"We believe in this," he said in an interview on July 26 with The Canadian Press. "We've been saying for a long time that the freedom of information officer should be an officer of the house and that they should have the capacity to make their rulings stick."
In April, a research group studying how jails and federal prisons across the country handled the COVID-19 pandemic singled out Nova Scotia for the poor response of its access to information system.
University of Winnipeg researcher Kevin Walby noted that the projected fees in the province were close to 20 times higher than those in Ontario regarding requests for materials ranging from manuals and policy directives to requests for statistics on prisoner grievances.
Faced with tens of thousands of dollars in fees, Walby abandoned the request in Nova Scotia. He said at the time that even if he would have been successful in obtaining the information about the province's prisons, he might have had to go to court to enforce the decision.
Information commissioner Ralph said at the time that Walby's request would have had to wait "upward of three years" before her office could have dealt with it because of limited resources.
In June 2017, Ralph's predecessor, Catherine Tully, had called for reforms, including to make her position into an independent officer of the legislature, which would have given her office security of tenure and an easier time with budget requests.
She noted at the time Nova Scotia was the only province not to allow its information commissioner that kind of independence. Tully had also argued for order-making powers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 2, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Montreal doctors' breakthrough discovery about causes of cerebral palsy giving hope
A breakthrough discovery made by doctors at the Montreal Children's Hospital about the causes of cerebral palsy is giving new hope to one West Island family.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
For years she thought her son had died of an overdose. The police video changed all that
Austin Hunter Turner died in 2017, on a night that his mother has rewound and replayed again and again, trying to make sense of what happened.
Feeling older than you are? It could be how you sleep
Not getting enough sleep may cause you to feel five to 10 years older than you really are, according to two new studies.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.