Canada’s freedom-ofinformation laws rank low globally

OTTAWA — Canada has slipped six places to 55th spot on an annual list of global freedom-ofinformation rankings, and is now tied with Bulgaria and Uruguay.

The Halifax-based Centre for Law and Democracy and human rights organization Access Info Europe published the list to mark International Right to Know Day. The rating system, launched in 2011, uses a 150-point scale to indicate the strengths and weaknesses of freedom-of-information laws around the world.

Canada has dropped down the list partly because other countries have leapfrogged it by introducing better laws, the latest report card says. War-torn Afghanistan tops the list, followed by Mexico and Serbia. It is tremendous that Afghanistan has passed such “an incredibly strong” right-to-information law, said Toby Mendel, executive director of the nonprofit Centre for Law and Democracy.

“Although implementation is always a challenge, this law will at least give the country the tools it needs to ensure its citizens can access information from public authorities.”

The compilers of the list say they hope Canada’s “poor showing” will be a wake-up call that spurs Ottawa to improve the federal Access to Information Act.

The law allows people who pay $5 to ask for records ranging from internal studies and meeting minutes to correspondence and travel receipts. Departments are supposed to answer within 30 days or provide valid reasons why they need more time.

Canada’s lax timelines, imposition of access fees, lack of a proper public-interest override, and blanket exemptions for certain political offices all contravene international standards for the right of access, says the report published Friday.

“Canada’s antiquated approach to access to information is also the result of a lack of political will to improve the situation.”