Evidence of meeting #17 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was requests.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Ms. McCulloch, did you receive advance notice of any possible questions?
Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
No, I did not.
Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Privy Council Office
No, I did not.
Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
No, I did not.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Okay. Thank you very much.
Ms. Wesch, I want to come back to you. The referrals that you receive and deal with as the ATIP coordinator in your office, do those include referrals from other departments of things that might have to do with intergovernmental relations or relations with other governments, ATIP requests that came into a different department and then end up in PCO or the Prime Minister's Office?
Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Privy Council Office
I just want to clarify: you're saying requests that came somewhere else that were referred to us?
Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Privy Council Office
That happens on occasion if another department feels that we would be better suited to respond to the request.
NDP
Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Privy Council Office
Infrequently.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Infrequently.
I gather that it is possible for the PCO to say that the release of information may affect relations with another government or another country. Is that used very often to deny access to information, in your experience?
Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Privy Council Office
Well, we do, yes, we would use that exception when it applied to the records.
Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Privy Council Office
I really would not know how often we use the various exemptions. I really don't know. I could look into it.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
All right. But that one doesn't stand out, though, for you, as someone who deals with these things, as one that's used more frequently than others, for instance.
Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Privy Council Office
Oh, it probably would be one that we use more frequently. But I wouldn't be able to tell you the exact....
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Thank you.
Mr. Makichuk, I want to ask you, when you have contact with or are contacted by political staff, is that contact made by phone or is it made by e-mail? How does the contact happen when it does occur?
Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I have had contact in person, I have had contact by e-mail, and I have had, on occasion, contact by telephone.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Since the issue with Mr. Togneri has arisen, has that changed? Is it done in person now more often than by e-mail? Have you noticed any change since this issue has had some publicity?
Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Department of Public Works and Government Services
I've noticed no change.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
I wanted to ask all of you—and it may possibly be an unfair question, so you can feel free to say it's an unfair question. In some of the media around this it was suggested that being an ATIP coordinator in government wasn't necessarily the best career path. I'll read you the quote. I think it came from one member of the media, who said "You do not get promoted based on your ability to move access requests through the system".
I'm just wondering if you think that fairly represents your experience of being an ATIP professional in the public service. Do you see it as a barrier to your future in the public service? Do you see it as one that is more problematic than other career paths in the public service?
I'll just go down the row. Ms. Brennan.
Director, Access to Information and Privacy, Treasury Board Secretariat
I think it was the best career choice I have ever made. It's opened up a lot of doors, and it's all based on the way you handle it as a person.
