CANADA
A5
MONDAY, OCT. 28, 2013 SENATE
Suspension drive stalls in confusion BY THE CANADIAN PRESS
Photo by THE CANADIAN PRESS
Suzanne Legault, Information Commissioner of Canada, speaks during a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa, Thursday Oct. 17, 2013, following the tabling of her annual report in the House of Commons. Legault has been flooded with fresh complaints that the Harper government is too often citing security to withhold documents requested under the Access to Information Act.
Flood of security-related complaints overwhelms staff of info watchdog
‘I HAVE OBSERVED A WORRYING TREND IN THE NUMBER OF NEW COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYPE IN THE PAST FOUR MONTH.’
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RCMP — refusing even to acknowledge the receipt of requests, much less respond to them. “I am seeing signs of a system in crisis, where departments are unable to fulfil even their most basic obligations under the Act,” Legault told a closed-door meeting of bureaucrats last month. Clement has countered that no previous government has released more material under the Access to Information Act, and that requests are becoming more complex. Under the Access to Information Act, every resident of Canada can request records from the federal government for a $5 application fee. More than 40,000 such requests are received each year, many of them subject to exemptions and long delays. The information commissioner acts as a watchdog, investigating complaints and occasionally taking the government to court, though she lacks order-making powers. Almost 1,600 complaints were received in 2012-2013. The office currently has 41 people in its investigations unit, eight of whom have been given special security clearance by the RCMP to probe sensitive government files. Increasing the number to 12 would require an amendment to the Access to Information Act.
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people from the current eight. “I believe that this increase is necessary in order for my office to deal with this year’s increase,” she said in an Aug. 21 letter to Clement, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. Clement’s office, which oversees the access-to-information system, has not yet responded.
tions — Sections 13 and 15 of the Access to Information Act — to prevent the release of securityOTTAWA — Canada’s related documents. information watchdog Emily McCarthy, ashas been flooded with sistant information fresh complaints that the commissioner, said the Harper government is growing number of these too often citing security cases is just one aspect to withhold documents of a striking rise in comrequested under the Acplaints from Canadians cess to Information Act. this year. Suzanne Legault says “We’re really seeing that since April, her ofan explosion in our infice has seen a surge in ventory” of complaints, such comshe said plaints — in an inprompting terview. her to ask T h e for more largest specially number trained inof comvestigators. plaints “I have are about observed delays, a worrying fees and trend in — SUZANNE LEGAULT, m i s s e d the numINFORMATION COMMISSIONER OF CANADA d e a d ber of new lines, complaints McCaof this type A spokesman for the rthy says. in the past four months,” In the first six months Legault wrote in August minister, Aaron Scheeto Tony Clement, presi- we, said it would be “in- of this fiscal year, the dent of the Treasury appropriate” to comment number of complaints is on any direct communi- almost 40 per cent ahead Board. of the same time last “So far this fiscal cations with Legault. The issue arises from year. The office currentyear, we have received 107 new special delega- two sections of the Ac- ly has 378 security-relattion (security related) cess to Information Act ed complaints either in complaints, amounting that safeguard informa- process or awaiting into 80 per cent of the av- tion obtained in confi- vestigation. Numerous critics have erage number of incom- dence from a foreign ing complaints that my state or group of states, assailed what they see office has previously re- such as the G8, and that as the growing transparceived over the course of protect the conduct of in- ency deficit of the Conternational affairs or the servative government, an entire year.” which first won office in Legault said the prob- defence of the country. The terrorist attacks 2006 partly on an eleclem has been growing over the last five years, in New York and Wash- tion promise to improve but has become acute ington, D.C., on Sept. 11, access to information. 2001, prompted a spike Legault has said the this year. She has asked Clem- in the use of these ex- system is rapidly deteent to increase the num- emptions to withhold in- riorating, with departber of her investigators formation under the Ac- ments routinely failing to meet legislated timewho have special secu- cess to Information Act. Legault’s comments lines in the release of inrity clearance to probe these complaints, to 12 suggest a resurgence in formation, and some inthe use of these exemp- stitutions — such as the THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — The Conservative drive to suspend three of its black-sheep senators without pay is sputtering amid an apparent difference of opinion between the prime minister and his leader in the Senate as Tories in the upper chamber seek to end debate on the sanctions. Sen. Claude Carignan has suggested he’s open to amending the measures against Sens. Patrick Brazeau and Pamela Wallin, though not Mike Duffy, following explosive allegations that he offered a backroom deal to Brazeau even as the prime minister publicly declared zero tolerance for the senators’ purported misdeeds. Carignan is slated to consult with the Conservative caucus in a closed-door meeting this morning about whether to amend the suspension proposals. Some Conservative senators, including Hugh Segal and Don Plett, the former president of the party, have complained that the move to suspend the senators ignores due process and the rule of law, a point Wallin also made in her remarks to the Senate last week. It’s all evidence of disarray among Conservatives that could create opportunities for those looking to defeat the suspension motions in the days to come. Jason MacDonald, a spokesman for Harper, denied Sunday that Carignan, the government’s Senate leader, was acting on behalf of the prime minister. “These senators have already been found by auditors to have claimed inappropriate expenses,” MacDonald said in an email. “We don’t direct the activities of the Senate and cannot comment on the discussions they have had or may be having. What I can say is that we remain firm on this important point: Senators who have already been found to have claimed inappropriate expenses should not be collecting a public paycheque.” On Parliament Hill on Friday, Brazeau said Carignan offered him a deal just hours earlier to receive lighter sanctions from the Senate in exchange for a public apology. Brazeau said Carignan pulled him aside outside the Senate chamber to make the offer. “The deal was, that if I stood in this chamber, apologized to Canadians and took responsibility for my actions, that my punishment would be lesser than what is being proposed,” Brazeau told the Senate. Carignan responded that his offer was one made out of “friendship,” adding he’d always been open to “friendly amendments.” “It’s like every motion, it could be amended,” Carignan later told reporters. “When we realize that if somebody apologized to Canadians a it’s something that we could take in account and perhaps change the motion. Or he could also move an amendment to say, look, I apologize and I want to reduce the sanction. He could do that. And it’s exactly what I said to him.” Senate Conservatives are aiming to end debate Monday on the controversial proposal to suspend the three senators. A motion, to be tabled three days before the Conservative party convention kicks off in Calgary, would impose a time allocation for the debate. James Cowan, Liberal Senate leader, has said he’s puzzled why his Conservative colleagues are trying to rush the process. All three senators, clearly angered by the government’s hard line, appeared before the Senate last week to make stunning allegations that they were victims of conspiracies, personal vendettas and were approached with backroom deals in attempts to lessen the PR damage to Conservatives. Duffy said he was threatened with expulsion from the Senate if he didn’t go along with the plan to repay his expenses. He added the prime minister himself ordered him to repay the money, something Harper confirmed. The prime minister also reiterated in the House of Commons that he had no knowledge that Nigel Wright, his former chief of staff, cut a $90,000 cheque to Duffy to pay the senator’s expenses although he acknowledged a few others did. If the suspension motions pass this week, the three senators — all of them currently under an RCMP investigation — would be without paycheques within days. Former Liberal Sen. Mac Harb quit the chamber in August amid his own alleged expenses improprieties and is also being investigated.
Once again this year we will be featuring many local recipes from Central Alberta’s best cooks in our upcoming Carols & Cookies publication on Saturday, November 16. We will include categories for appetizers, entrees and desserts. Prizes will be awarded in all categories, with a grand prize winner chosen from all recipes submitted.
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Carols & Cookies Recipes,
Deadline for submission is WEDNESDAY, OCT. 30 48734I29
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