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- May 31, 2025
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- #1
Amendment to the freedom of information act
Author: Kli AstonMartin, MP
Sponsor: N/A
Type: Amendment to an Act
A
Bill
To
Enable more accountability and easier access to government information.
Preamble:
Citizens should have a right to know what our government and our elected officials are doing, beyond just the Ministries. That’s why we need the Freedom of Information Act to be expanded to the Office of the Prime Minister and to Parliament via the Presiding office
1) Definition:
(a) “Responding Office” shall refer to the office which the Freedom of Information request is directed at. This may be a Ministry, the Office of the Prime Minister or the Presiding Office of Parliament.
2) Short title:
(a) This bill shall be referred to as the amendment to the Freedom of information act
3) Amendment:
(a) Section 4 of the Freedom of information act shall be amended as follows:
4. Petition Process
(a) Any citizen may open a support ticket with the relevant Ministry Responding Office for the information they are requesting. If the citizen does not know which ministry to reach out to office to contact, they may open a ticket with any Ministry Responding Office, and the Ministers that office should shall help facilitate connection with the correct Ministry appropriate Responding Office.
(b) Upon reviewing the request, the Ministry Responding Office shall examine the request and determine the classification level of the information being requested. If they are unfamiliar with the classification level of the information being requested, they are encouraged to speak with other Ministers officials or legal counsel.
(c) Classified Information may not be shared in Freedom of Information requests.
(d) If parts of the information are unable to be shared but other parts can be shared, this should be made known to the petitioning citizen. If the citizen accepts this, the Minister Responding Office can share partially redacted information, withholding or otherwise censoring anything which cannot be shared while sharing what can be shared.
(e) Ministers Responding Offices may reject Freedom of Information Requests for failing to be narrow in scope.
(f) Individuals are not subject to Freedom of Information requests; only ministries Responding Offices. The response provided by the ministry’s employees is the response provided; individuals may request additional clarity, but they cannot demand an answer from any specific employee.
Enactment:
This Act comes into force immediately upon passage and ratification.
Author: Kli AstonMartin, MP
Sponsor: N/A
Type: Amendment to an Act
A
Bill
To
Enable more accountability and easier access to government information.
Preamble:
Citizens should have a right to know what our government and our elected officials are doing, beyond just the Ministries. That’s why we need the Freedom of Information Act to be expanded to the Office of the Prime Minister and to Parliament via the Presiding office
1) Definition:
(a) “Responding Office” shall refer to the office which the Freedom of Information request is directed at. This may be a Ministry, the Office of the Prime Minister or the Presiding Office of Parliament.
2) Short title:
(a) This bill shall be referred to as the amendment to the Freedom of information act
3) Amendment:
(a) Section 4 of the Freedom of information act shall be amended as follows:
4. Petition Process
(a) Any citizen may open a support ticket with the relevant Ministry Responding Office for the information they are requesting. If the citizen does not know which ministry to reach out to office to contact, they may open a ticket with any Ministry Responding Office, and the Ministers that office should shall help facilitate connection with the correct Ministry appropriate Responding Office.
(b) Upon reviewing the request, the Ministry Responding Office shall examine the request and determine the classification level of the information being requested. If they are unfamiliar with the classification level of the information being requested, they are encouraged to speak with other Ministers officials or legal counsel.
(c) Classified Information may not be shared in Freedom of Information requests.
(d) If parts of the information are unable to be shared but other parts can be shared, this should be made known to the petitioning citizen. If the citizen accepts this, the Minister Responding Office can share partially redacted information, withholding or otherwise censoring anything which cannot be shared while sharing what can be shared.
(e) Ministers Responding Offices may reject Freedom of Information Requests for failing to be narrow in scope.
(f) Individuals are not subject to Freedom of Information requests; only ministries Responding Offices. The response provided by the ministry’s employees is the response provided; individuals may request additional clarity, but they cannot demand an answer from any specific employee.
Enactment:
This Act comes into force immediately upon passage and ratification.