Watchdog concerned as privacy bill passes Alberta legislature to end fall sitting

Alberta’s information and privacy commissioner, Diane McLeod, expressed her concerns about the passing of new legislation in the province that she believes will limit public access to government information. The bill, introduced by Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally, includes new exemptions that restrict what documents the public can request access to.

One of the main changes in the bill is the creation of exemptions for documents created by or for the premier, government ministers, or the provincial Treasury Board. This includes correspondence such as emails, which will no longer be accessible to the public. McLeod raised multiple concerns about these changes in a letter to Nally, but no amendments were made before the bill passed its final reading.

In her letter, McLeod highlighted that the new exemptions could give the government more power to withhold information from the public, as it includes virtually all communication between political staff and members of the cabinet. Nally defended the changes by stating that freedom of information is about access to government documents, not political conversations.

Additionally, the bill extends the time frame for public bodies to respond to freedom of information requests to 30 business days and allows them to dismiss applications that are deemed “unreasonable.” However, the definition of what constitutes reasonable is not specified in the bill. Despite criticism, Nally has denied that these changes will make the government less transparent.

Opposition NDP’s justice critic, Irfan Sabir, criticized the bill, stating that it will make accessing government records much more difficult. The NDP also raised concerns about three contentious bills passed during the sitting, which affect transgender youth. These bills place restrictions on the prescribing of puberty blockers, require parental notification for name and pronoun changes in schools, and ban transgender athletes from competing in female sports.

NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi accused Premier Smith’s government of losing sight of important issues that matter to Albertans, such as affordability, jobs, housing, and public safety. However, government house leader Joseph Schow defended the government’s actions, stating that they are working to address the concerns of Albertans.

The legislative assembly is expected to reconvene in February for the next provincial budget, but details on upcoming legislation have not been disclosed. Despite the controversy surrounding the new legislation, the government remains committed to serving the people of Alberta.