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Access to information is the right of the public to obtain information held by public bodies as well as an obligation for governments to ensure records are created, maintained, and made readily available. Access to information is essential for informed public discourse on which democracy depends. It not only facilitates developing effective solutions to societal problems but also empowers communities that have historically been marginalized and silenced.

Page March 3, 2015

The perils and paradoxes of FOI in Canada

By Ken Rubin     March 3, 2015 - The media's expectations for FOI were high when Canada first introduced its Access to Information Act a little more than 30 years ago. But the use of the legislation since then has come up against the brutal limitations of what is provided and what is not. It's made me into a battle-hardened FOI warrior who has worked with the media, the public and others.