Ottawa transparency advocates and legal experts are raising serious concerns about proposals being floated by Treasury Board during an ongoing review of Canada's Access to Information Act — warning that some of the suggested changes would roll back decades of progress on government accountability.
What's Being Proposed
The federal government launched a review of the Access to Information Act as part of a commitment to modernize the decades-old legislation. But rather than strengthening Canadians' right to know what their government is doing, critics say some of the Treasury Board's proposals would do the opposite.
Transparency advocates describe several of the floated changes as "regressive" — a word being used repeatedly by experts in Ottawa's access-to-information community. While the full details of the proposals are still being worked through, the direction has been enough to trigger a coordinated pushback from people who work with the law every day.
Why It Matters for Ottawa
The Access to Information Act is one of the key tools journalists, researchers, lawyers, and ordinary citizens use to scrutinize the federal government — which, of course, is headquartered right here in Ottawa. Access requests filed with federal departments and agencies touch everything from public health decisions and infrastructure spending to immigration policy and national security.
For Ottawa residents in particular, a weakened ATIP system hits close to home. Federal public servants, advocacy organizations, Hill staffers, and NGOs make up a huge part of the city's fabric — and many rely on access-to-information requests as a basic tool of accountability journalism and civic oversight.
Experts Push Back
Transparency advocates argue that rather than introducing new restrictions or expanding exemptions, the government should be focused on cutting response times, reducing backlogs, and making the system more accessible to everyday Canadians.
The Information Commissioner's office has long flagged chronic delays in the ATIP system as a systemic problem. Critics worry that if the current review results in weaker rules rather than stronger enforcement, it will further erode public trust in federal institutions at a time when that trust is already fragile.
Advocates are calling on Treasury Board to reverse course and recommit to a review process that expands transparency — not one that quietly narrows it.
What Comes Next
The review of the Access to Information Act is still ongoing, meaning there's still time for public input and political pressure to shape the outcome. Civil society groups and transparency organizations are encouraging Canadians — particularly those in Ottawa with direct ties to federal institutions — to engage with the consultation process and make their voices heard.
For a city whose economy and identity are so closely tied to the federal government, how Ottawa experts and advocates respond to this review could have real consequences for accountability in Canada for years to come.
Source: Ottawa Citizen. Read the original reporting at ottawacitizen.com.
