BOTTERELL – NDP has dismantled Freedom of Information piece by piece

By ROB BOTTERELL
MLA, Saanich North and the Islands

BRITISH COLUMBIA’s Freedom of Information system was once considered one of the strongest in the world. It was built on a simple democratic principle: government information belongs to the public.

In 1991, I led the team that drafted BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy legislation for the BC NDP government of the day. In June 1992, the legislation was passed unanimously by all parties in the Legislature.

B.C.’s FOI legislation was hailed as the most open, balanced, and effective information rights legislation in Canada. There was a clear commitment to foster a culture of openness.

Piece by piece, the system has been dismantled—and Bill 9 continues that trend. It degrades freedom of information under the guise of administrative convenience, making the government both judge and juror over what the public can access. It’s part of a troubling pattern of centralizing power under Premier Eby. The culture of openness promised in 1992 has been broken.

The amount of information you receive should not depend on who you are or why you want the information. Freedom of information is the cornerstone of open and accountable democratic government. Journalists rely on it. Citizens rely on it. Legislators rely on it. Non-government organizations rely on it.

Amendments included in Bill 9 complete the evisceration of freedom of information in BC. Freedom of information will now become freedom from information. Access delayed is access denied.

The BC Greens will not be party to the evisceration of this cornerstone legislation. We are calling on the government to withdraw Bill 9 or amend it to remove any provisions that reduce openness, and to implement the recommendations of the all-party 2022 Special Committee report.

Rob Botterell was elected as MLA for Saanich North and the Islands in 2024, representing the Green Party. He lives in Pender Island.