Government & Corporate Transparency
The Issue
Canadians’ right of access to information held by governments and public agencies is embarrassingly inadequate. Internationally, the quality of our access to information law ranks 59th out of 102 countries. The implementation of the law makes matters even worse – often imposing excessive delays, high costs, and significant censorship. Even more limited is the public’s right of access to information about the decisions and practices of the corporate sector that increasingly shape every aspect of our lives.
Why It Matters
Healthy democracy depends on an informed public with ready access to the information it needs to engage in effective political decision-making.
Our Work
The Centre for Free Expression works to promote greater government and corporate transparency through public education and advocacy for better right to know laws and practices.
Resources
Three Trudeau ministers among those stalling access to information requests
June 17, 2019 - The ministers overseeing Health, Justice and Innovation departments must do a better job of living up to the prime minister's promises of transparency.
Why the secrecy on this "expert" centre?
June 13, 2019 - Public Safety has quietly set up a centre for expertise to assist security and intelligence departments in the responsible use of the Security of Canada Information Disclosure Act, known as SCIDA. Yet vitually no one knows about the centre, or what it is doing. This is worrisome.
The Judges Win, Bill C-58 Gets to the Top of The Senate List for Quick Passage
By Ken Rubin
April 29, 2019 - Judging from the Senators' orchestrated recent cave-in removing the public from getting individual judges expenses, Canada's access to information act is well on its way to being made irrelevant.
CFE Senior Fellow Ken Rubin wins the Spencer Moore Award for Lifetime Contributions to press freedom and freedom of information.
The Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom has named Ken Rubin, Senior Fellow at the Centre for Free Expression, as its 2018-19 recipient of the Spencer Moore Award for Lifetim
Massive Secrecy Inroads and Barriers to Access Near Approval in the Senate
By Ken Rubin
April 1, 2019 - The Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee is winding its way, clause by clause through Bill C-58. But they have already approved the most divisive change to the Access to Information Act.