N.S. information commissioner says premier’s bill threatens right to access records

CITYnews halifax / By The Canadian Press

Nova Scotia’s freedom of information commissioner is calling on the governing party to withdraw legislation that she says weakens the public’s right to access government records and documents.

Tricia Ralph, who ends her term of office this week, says measures in an omnibus bill tabled by the Progressive Conservatives threaten the rights of citizens to access information and could diminish government accountability.

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Ralph takes issue with amendments that allow departments to refuse access requests on the basis they’re “trivial, frivolous or vexatious,” saying the measures are too broad and inconsistent with legislation elsewhere in the country.

As well, she says other measures in the legislation will add excessive burdens on people who request government records and other documents.

Ralph says her office wasn’t consulted on the proposed changes, and is asking that “meaningful consultation” take place before the measures are passed into law.

Premier Tim Houston on Monday withdrew other amendments in the bill that would have allowed his government to fire the auditor general without cause, amid rising public criticisms of the legislation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2025.