Information Commissioner’s appearance before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics

May 4, 2026
Ottawa, ON

(Check against delivery)

Thank you for the invitation to appear before you today.

For 2026-27, the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada has been allocated $15.7 million in voted funding through the Main Estimates. This represents a small increase of 0.45% over the previous year.

The mandate of my office is to carry out investigations into complaints about access to information requests made to federal institutions.

Much of our financial planning is driven by anticipated complaints and related litigation cases, over which we have no control.

Recent trends in my investigations and available data indicate that we are entering a period of rising pressure on the access system.

For example, early indications suggest that access to information capacity across institutions is being impacted by the Government's Comprehensive Expenditure review.

This is despite my warnings that access to information is a quasi-constitutional right, and not a service and, therefore, should not be subjected to cuts.

An analysis of the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) Access to Information and Privacy statistical report for 2024-25 completed by my team revealed that approximately 40,000 out of nearly 200,000 access to information requests were not responded to within legislated timelines.

In light of these findings, my office is planning for an increase in the numbers of complaints it will receive.

It is now our expectation that complaint volumes and litigation will increase in the period ahead. This concerns me.

As an Agent of Parliament, the Office of the Information Commissioner was exempt from the Government's Comprehensive Expenditure review.

However, this does not mean my office has been immune to fiscal pressure.

In recent years, we have contended with a funding shortfall resulting from the methodology used by TBS to allocate funding for collective agreements.

Fortunately, through prudent fiscal management and the reallocation of resources, we have managed to absorb this structural deficit thus far.

I have concerns about how long this can be sustained.

I continue to believe that the current funding model for my office lacks the flexibility to adjust to changing circumstances.

This is why I agree with your committee’s recommendation that the Government establish a funding mechanism that respects the independence of Agents of Parliament, outlined in your 2023 report on the state of the access to information system.

Which brings me to the subject of the Government’s ongoing legislative review of the Access to Information Act.

Since I last appeared before this Committee, an important milestone has been reached.

The Government launched an online consultation on a policy paper that provides the legislative changes under consideration.

My team is currently working on compiling the detailed recommendations on the reforms that are urgently needed. My recommendations will be published on my website the same day they are submitted to TBS.

Ultimately, as I have said numerous times, this reform must strengthen—not erode—the right of Canadians to know how decisions are made and how their institutions operate.

As we consider the path forward, it is worth recalling what is ultimately at stake.

To take just one example, yesterday marked World Press Freedom Day. That occasion served as a powerful reminder that a free press is essential to a healthy democracy—and that without access to information, the press cannot fulfill its vital role.

When the access to information system fails, trust erodes. And restoring trust is far more difficult than preserving it.

I would be pleased to answer your questions.