Letter to the Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet (July 2025)

July 15, 2025

Mr. Michael Sabia
Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to Cabinet
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A3

Dear Mr. Sabia:

Please accept my sincere congratulations on your appointment as Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to Cabinet.

I read your July 7 message with great interest and fully share your view that public servants must focus on priorities, simplify processes, and demonstrate accountability. This vision closely reflects how I carry out my role as Information Commissioner, where I consistently emphasize the importance of delivering concrete results for Canadians both across institutions subject to the Access to Information Act and within my own office.

I also welcome your reminder to public servants to be proud of the work they do serving Canada and Canadians. I have frequently remarked that public servants—who have every reason to take pride in their work—should welcome every opportunity to share it openly, helping Canadians better understand their actions and decisions. At a time of growing misinformation and public skepticism, the access to information system provides an avenue by which the federal public service, through greater openness and transparency, can demonstrate accountability and build trust in government institutions.

As I noted in my May 2025 letter to the Prime Minister, since I took on the role of Information Commissioner in 2018, I have observed a steady decline in the access system, to the point where it no longer serves its intended purpose. Too often, when responding to access to information requests, public servants focus primarily on what the law allows them to withhold, failing to keep in mind its fundamental objective, which is to enable access to information that can and should be disclosed.

The public service now has a real opportunity to change this paradigm—shifting focus from what to protect to what to share—while simplifying processes and demonstrating accountability.

I am confident that you are well positioned to lead the charge on a new approach where Canadians benefit from a public service that respects the Access to Information Act and provides the information they are entitled to in a timely manner. I also trust you will encourage the adoption of best practices in information management, which has become increasingly problematic, throughout the federal administration.

I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss how we can achieve meaningful results in an area that has seen persistent decline over the years, or to address any other topics you may wish to raise. To arrange a meeting, please have your staff contact Manon Côté, my Manager of Parliamentary and Stakeholders Relations, by email (manon.cote@oic-ci.gc.ca).

Caroline Maynard
Information Commissioner of Canada