Access to Information is priority number 351 (or lower) for the NDP

This week is Right to Know Week. Thursday evening at the Press Club, I joined a panel discussion with Gord McIntosh (representing the NDP) and Hugh McFayden (representing the Conservatives).

Half way through the Thursday afternoon, the NDP, desparate to try to show that they might consider doing something, released a press release indicating they were considering legislation to improve access to information when the legislature resumes sitting this fall. The wording of the Press Release was vague and tentative, and it was readily apparent that they were "considering" measures, and were not themselves even sure what changes they are actually going to bring forward.

In the 1999 election the NDP made a whole series of promises about increasing access to information. One of these was to follow the lead of almost all other provinces to create an Office of the Privacy Commissioner. But in more than seven years there has been no action. In those seven years we have seen about 350 pieces of legislation from the NDP. Clearly Access to Information is Priority Number 351 or lower. Sad.

While Gord McIntosh hummed and hawed at the microphone and talked about what his government might consider, I presented our Liberal approach.

Our Liberal approach to improving access to information is as follows:

1) We need real time access to real information. For example, a patient (or a family of a patient) who request access to medical information for someone in hospital or in a personal care home should be able to get access within 24 hours rather than in the present 30 days. The medical charts are in the institution and must be kept up to date. There is no longer any reason to withhold this information for more than 24 hours. On the other hand providing the information promptly will allow the patient and family a much better ability to participate in decision around their own care - an important step to improving the quality of health care.

2) We need to have a Privacy Commissioner who has the power to overrride the government, when the government refuses to provice information. The role of the Privacy Commissioner is to balance the pubic interest in making the information available, with the interest of the government, an individual or a business in keeping the information secret. Presently, the ombudsman deals with access to information issues, but the Ombudsman does not have the power to overrride the government, only to "negotiate" with the government. In several other provinces the Privacy Commissioner has the power to override the government when the government says it will not make the information available. We need the same power in Manitoba to ensure a more open and responsive government.

3) Citizens need better access to the courts to allow the courts to make a decision when citizens are denied access to information which they see is essential to them.

If you have additional comments, please send me an email at jgerrard@leg.gov.mb.ca