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e-1090 (Access to information)

E-petition
Initiated by Dennis Molinaro from Oshawa, Ontario

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • On April 7, 2017, it became apparent that institutions of the government, such as the Privy Council Office, Global Affairs, and the Department of Justice, have not been turning over a substantial amount of historical material to Library and Archives Canada (LAC);
  • The government has delayed reform of the Access to Information Act (ATI) and its reform is essential to enable transparent and timely citizen access to documents and prevent historical documents from being hidden or withheld from public archives;
  • LAC is supposed to be Canada’s primary archival institution;
  • Transparency with regard to information, including historical documents, is essential and important to the proper functioning of a democracy; and
  • Citizens have a right to access their nation’s history by knowing what historical documents the government is in possession of and having open and transparent access to those documents.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to immediately begin the process of turning over all historical documents to LAC; reform the ATI and Library and Archives Canada Act to ensure historical material does not remain hidden outside of LAC.
Government response tabled on August 21, 2019 (Sessional Paper No. 8545-421-141-02)
Open for signature
May 11, 2017, at 4:31 p.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
September 8, 2017, at 4:31 p.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Murray Rankin (Victoria)
May 27, 2019 (Petition No. 421-03899)
Government response tabled
August 21, 2019
Photo - Murray Rankin
Victoria
New Democratic Party Caucus
British Columbia