$32,000 and a 3-year wait: Star reporters share what it’s like trying to access public documents in Canada | Toronto Star
The high cost of freedom of information points to a broader problem with government record-keeping and accountability, transparency advocates and privacy watchdogs say.
Citizens have a right to details about issues such as the controversial Scarborough subway extension, but it potentially comes with a $31,948 price tag and three-year wait. That’s how much the TTC says it will cost to deliver Star city hall reporter Jennifer Pagliaro’s freedom of information (FOI) request.
Information about mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows First Nation, police carding, and toxic air in Sarnia’s Chemical Valley belongs to the public, regardless of the format it comes in. Access to information laws apply to government bodies ranging from federal departments and provincial ministries to school boards and libraries.
The high cost of freedom of information points to a broader problem with government record-keeping and accountability, transparency advocates and privacy watchdogs say.
Citizens have a right to details about issues such as the controversial Scarborough subway extension, but it potentially comes with a $31,948 price tag and three-year wait. That’s how much the TTC says it will cost to deliver Star city hall reporter Jennifer Pagliaro’s freedom of information (FOI) request.
Information about mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows First Nation, police carding, and toxic air in Sarnia’s Chemical Valley belongs to the public, regardless of the format it comes in. Access to information laws apply to government bodies ranging from federal departments and provincial ministries to school boards and libraries.
