‘Really bleak situation’: proposed access-to-information changes include removing emails, letting departments put requests on hold

The mandated review of the Access to Information Act, includes proposals from the government that are 'super regressive,' says veteran journalist Dean Beeby. 'It’s just bureaucrats running the show, and we’re all going to lose, because they’re not eager at all to open the system up and be transparent.'

On March 5, Treasury Board Minister Shafqat Ali opened the public engagement portion for the review of the Access to Information Act, but the government's discussion paper proposed changes that critics say ignores, or in some cases worsens, persistent issues with the law.The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

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BY MARLO GLASS

March 12, 2026

The federal government is considering possible changes to its access-to-information regime that would potentially see longer wait times and fewer documents released to the public.

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