An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

This bill is from the 42nd Parliament, 1st session, which ended in September 2019.

Sponsor

Scott Brison  Liberal

Status

This bill has received Royal Assent and is now law.

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.

This enactment amends the Access to Information Act to, among other things,
(a) authorize the head of a government institution, with the approval of the Information Commissioner, to decline to act on a request for access to a record for various reasons;
(b) authorize the Information Commissioner to refuse to investigate or cease to investigate a complaint that is, in the Commissioner’s opinion, trivial, frivolous or vexatious or made in bad faith;
(c) clarify the powers of the Information Commissioner and the Privacy Commissioner to examine documents containing information that is subject to solicitor-client privilege or the professional secrecy of advocates and notaries or to litigation privilege in the course of their investigations and clarify that the disclosure by the head of a government institution to either of those Commissioners of such documents does not constitute a waiver of those privileges or that professional secrecy;
(d) authorize the Information Commissioner to make orders for the release of records or with respect to other matters relating to requesting or obtaining records and to publish any reports that he or she makes, including those that contain any orders he or she makes, and give parties the right to apply to the Federal Court for a review of the matter;
(e) create a new Part providing for the proactive publication of information or materials related to the Senate, the House of Commons, parliamentary entities, ministers’ offices, government institutions and institutions that support superior courts;
(f) require the designated Minister to undertake a review of the Act within one year after the day on which this enactment receives royal assent and every five years afterward;
(g) authorize government institutions to provide to other government institutions services related to requests for access to records; and
(h) expand the Governor in Council’s power to amend Schedule I to the Act and to retroactively validate amendments to that schedule.
It amends the Privacy Act to, among other things,
(a) create a new exception to the definition of “personal information” with respect to certain information regarding an individual who is a ministerial adviser or a member of a ministerial staff;
(b) authorize government institutions to provide to other government institutions services related to requests for personal information; and
(c) expand the Governor in Council’s power to amend the schedule to the Act and to retroactively validate amendments to that schedule.
It also makes consequential amendments to the Canada Evidence Act and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-58s:

C-58 (2023) Law An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code and the Canada Industrial Relations Board Regulations, 2012
C-58 (2015) Support for Veterans and Their Families Act
C-58 (2013) Law Appropriation Act No. 5, 2012-13
C-58 (2010) Law Appropriation Act No. 4, 2010-11
C-58 (2009) Child Protection Act (Online Sexual Exploitation)
C-58 (2008) Law Appropriation Act No. 2, 2008-2009

Votes

June 18, 2019 Passed Motion respecting Senate amendments to Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
Dec. 6, 2017 Passed 3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
Dec. 5, 2017 Passed Time allocation for Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
Nov. 27, 2017 Passed Concurrence at report stage of Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
Sept. 27, 2017 Passed 2nd reading of Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 26th, 2017 / 1:45 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Bruce Stanton

Is the House ready for the question?

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 26th, 2017 / 1:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Question.

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 26th, 2017 / 1:45 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Bruce Stanton

The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 26th, 2017 / 1:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 26th, 2017 / 1:45 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Bruce Stanton

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 26th, 2017 / 1:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Yea.

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 26th, 2017 / 1:45 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Bruce Stanton

All those opposed will please say nay.

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 26th, 2017 / 1:45 p.m.

Some hon. members

Nay.

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 26th, 2017 / 1:45 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Bruce Stanton

In my opinion the nays have it.

And five or more members having risen:

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 26th, 2017 / 1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that the vote be deferred to the expiry of the time provided for government orders on Wednesday, September 27.

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 26th, 2017 / 1:45 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Bruce Stanton

Accordingly, the recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, September 27, 2017, at the expiry of the time provided for government orders.

The House resumed from September 26 consideration of the motion that Bill C-58, An Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 27th, 2017 / 5:30 p.m.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Carol Hughes

It being 5:30 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C-58.

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #350

Access to Information ActGovernment Orders

September 27th, 2017 / 6:10 p.m.

The Speaker Geoff Regan

I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)