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ETHI Committee Report

If you have any questions or comments regarding the accessibility of this publication, please contact us at accessible@parl.gc.ca.

Mr. Pierre-Luc Dusseault, Chair of the Committee
Standing Committee on Access to Information,
Privacy and Ethics
House of Commons
Confederation Building, Room: 413
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6


Dear Mr. Dusseault:

The Government welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics entitled Exclusions and Exemptions: Study on Section 68.1 of the Access to Information Act and the Resulting Court Actions Concerning the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation”, presented to the House on March 8, 2012. We thank the Committee for studying these issues and for providing its recommendations.

As you are aware, shortly before the Committee concluded its study, a decision was rendered by the Federal Court of Appeal which settled the dispute between the CBC and the Information Commissioner. Both parties expressed their satisfaction with the decision, and the CBC made a public commitment to work with the Information Commissioner in accordance with the decision of the Federal Court of Appeal.

We agree to study the various proposals advanced by your Committee regarding a possible amendment to section 68.1 of the Access to Information Act, taking into account the various international models presented by the Information Commissioner.

We share with the Committee the objective of ensuring that the purpose of the Access to Information Act is achieved.

We look forward to continue working with you and the members of the Committee on access related issues.


Yours truly,




The Honourable Rob Nicholson
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

c.c.: Chad Mariage, Clerk of the Committee