Thank you, Chair.
Thank you, Commissioner, for appearing before the committee once again.
Commissioner, one of the issues that I would assume your recommendation number 3 would address is what has been called “amber-lighting”. I'd like to focus on the concern I have with amber-lighting of member of Parliament requests.
The minister was before us and, as you've mentioned, he provided quite a rosy picture of the current situation. Because the minister left early, I questioned his officials on this specific issue of amber-lighting. Mr. Denis Kratchanov, when I asked him whether he agrees with the policy of amber-lighting, slowing down members' access to information requests, seemed to indicate that your office had conducted an investigation. Let me quote him. He said:
I think the Information Commissioner conducted quite a lengthy investigation a few years ago. Actually it was completed last summer, I think, because of a complaint of the Canadian Newspaper Association. The commissioner himself recognized that there was nothing wrong....
I'm perplexed. We heard from yourself, from witnesses, that in fact amber-lighting does occur, that it's a problem, and it's a problem that needs to be addressed—and hopefully these recommendations will address it—yet the Minister of Justice's official seemed to indicate that your offices found no such thing going on, that there wasn't a problem.
Towards the end of that same meeting, I once again tried to shake things out on this issue, and I referenced it by saying:
...you have the elected representatives of the people, the very representatives that people have elected and have chosen to represent them, being amber-lighted by that same government...
and
Does this not show a pattern of secrecy that's just unacceptable and is fundamentally undermining the principle of transparency in a democracy?
The response from the official was, “We're not going to comment on that.”
I'm very worried about what is going on with this amber-lighting. I'd like some clarity. Is it going on? It seemed to be indicated to us that it's not going on, that your office has investigated this. I'd like to know what exactly was found. Is this something that we should look at, and perhaps even have a specific recommendation on?