DND and IRCC slammed by information watchdog over slow progress on access to information
Canada's information commissioner has called out the Department of National Defence and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada over sluggish progress on processing access-to-information requests that seek government records.
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In 2024, the office of Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard received 381 complaints concerning DND and 925 complaints about IRCC, according to a new report.
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By the end of fiscal year 2025, DND had 144 active complaints remaining, while IRCC had 216.
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Those two areas include 'a disregard of some program areas for their responsibilities to provide records to the access to information unit in a timely manner,' and that the department's access to information unit's 'resulting inability to take necessary actions' on determining the length of time needed for extensions.
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Another report published by DND last year found the department responded to 58 per cent of access requests within timelines required by access-to-information legislation. This was a 4.5 per cent decrease from the previous year.
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'The commissioner views this downward trend as unacceptable, raising serious questions about DND's commitment to transparency and accountability,' Maynard wrote.
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DND has continued to fail to meet legislated standards, the report said.
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The department has had a long history of incidents involving the destruction and withholding of records.
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In 2018, a military officer at the civilian trial of Vice Adm. Mark Norman testified that Canadian Armed Forces leadership circumvented the Access to Information Act to hide records even though those had been legally requested.
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Then in 2023, the Ottawa Citizen revealed that the office of Gen. Wayne Eyre, who was then the chief of defence staff, falsely claimed records requested under the access law didn't exist. The records in question had been leaked to the newspaper by sources concerned that copies were being destroyed or illegally withheld.
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Canada's information commissioner has called out the Department of National Defence and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada over sluggish progress on processing access-to-information requests that seek government records. Article content In 2024, the office of Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard received 381 complaints concerning DND and 925 complaints about IRCC, according to a new report. Article content Article content Article content By the end of fiscal year 2025, DND had 144 active complaints remaining, while IRCC had 216. Article content Article content Those two areas include 'a disregard of some program areas for their responsibilities to provide records to the access to information unit in a timely manner,' and that the department's access to information unit's 'resulting inability to take necessary actions' on determining the length of time needed for extensions. Article content Another report published by DND last year found the department responded to 58 per cent of access requests within timelines required by access-to-information legislation. This was a 4.5 per cent decrease from the previous year. Article content 'The commissioner views this downward trend as unacceptable, raising serious questions about DND's commitment to transparency and accountability,' Maynard wrote. Article content Article content DND has continued to fail to meet legislated standards, the report said. Article content Article content The department has had a long history of incidents involving the destruction and withholding of records. Article content In 2018, a military officer at the civilian trial of Vice Adm. Mark Norman testified that Canadian Armed Forces leadership circumvented the Access to Information Act to hide records even though those had been legally requested. Article content Then in 2023, the Ottawa Citizen revealed that the office of Gen. Wayne Eyre, who was then the chief of defence staff, falsely claimed records requested under the access law didn't exist. The records in question had been leaked to the newspaper by sources concerned that copies were being destroyed or illegally withheld.
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