Kyla Lee appeared on CBC’s On The Coast with Gloria Macarenko for Soapbox Social, alongside podcast host Mo Amir, to discuss the week’s top stories.
One of the major topics was Bill 9, the proposed amendments to British Columbia’s freedom of information laws. The debate over the bill kept B.C. MLAs at the Legislature until nearly 4 a.m., after the Opposition Conservatives introduced a hoist motion to delay the amendments for six months to allow for more public consultation.
The government has described the amendments as modernization and says the changes are intended to clarify the legislation, streamline information sharing between agencies, and make it easier for people to access some types of personal records without filing a formal FOI request.
Kyla noted that while there may be positive aspects to the bill, including efforts to make personal information easier to access, she is concerned about provisions that could allow public bodies to refuse FOI requests considered “abusive” or “malicious.”
As Kyla explained, the question is who gets to decide what “malicious” means. FOI requests can be uncomfortable for government, especially when they uncover information that leads to criticism or accountability. That does not mean those requests are improper.
Freedom of information laws exist to help the public understand what government is doing. Any amendment that gives public bodies more discretion to refuse access deserves careful scrutiny.
Bill 9 has passed second reading and will proceed to committee stage, where each section of the bill will be reviewed.
