We are certainly aware of the concerns of the people of New Brunswick, which are exactly what you have described. I think there is something new in the way access to information commissioners are working in the country, and that is to rely more and more on mediation and reconciling the parties, and to ensure as well that the access request is done right in the first place. To do that, we have to start by telling people about the objectives of the act. The act includes some exemptions, and they are absolute and necessary. So we have to expect that it will be impossible to disclose some information. However, I think that when people are informed about their rights and about the exemptions, and when the parties are encouraged to sit down together... Too often in Canada, since everything is done on paper, the people involved cannot really talk to each other. The practice at the federal level is still to preserve the requester's anonymity at all times. I can tell you that this is not our practice in New Brunswick, and I see that this can cause some problems.
On April 22nd, 2009. See this statement in context.