Information & Ethics Committee on June 1st, 2010

[Jackie Holden]

With respect to the handling of access to information requests, we have a very well defined process and procedures in place within our department. As I mentioned earlier, we have two reports that we generate on a weekly basis to ensure full awareness and a no-surprises environment within the organization. As a result of that, there is early notification to all branches, regions, senior management, and the minister's office of upcoming events and upcoming releases.

We find that serves us very well. There's no differentiation or categorization of types of requests as such. We treat all requests in the same manner and respect the legislation and the timelines that are in place. In terms of the information that we share up, the reports serve us well in terms of laying out the timelines for the release of each request, and we work with communications, as I mentioned earlier, through our weekly meetings to determine whether or not media lines are deemed to be of interest or need to be developed. But that's not our decision to make within the access to information area. We just make the reports available.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

You said none of them are categorized or.... I forget which exact word you used. You don't deem any of them sensitive, then, as we have heard from another department?

[Jackie Holden]

That's correct. Within the access to information division of HRSDC, we do not make that determination. We have our weekly meetings, at which point, if communications, parliamentary affairs, and a representative from the minister's office are in attendance, if there is an interest in that meeting in having media lines developed, our communications branch is responsible for the development of those lines, working with the responsible program area or region.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

That happens at or after the weekly meeting.

[Jackie Holden]

That's correct. We do it early in the process, so that we are able to meet our legislated deadlines.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

What are your deadlines? How long do you have to respond to a request?

[Jackie Holden]

We have 30 days to respond to a request. And we have assigned times within our department for the scoping and collection of records within the responsible area, be it a branch or a region, that's deemed to be the holder of those documents. Then there's the processing and the actual review of the materials by our division and our experts in our ATIP division to see if there are any necessary exemptions or exclusions that are required.

Then the package is provided to the lead assistant deputy minister or regional head for review, for seen-and-noted signature—not for approval but for seen-and-noted signature—to ensure that they're aware of what materials are scheduled for release. Then it's our decision and we move forward with the release of the package under my full delegated authority.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

What happens if you receive a request that isn't relevant to your department? Do you automatically refer it on to whomever it does apply to, or do you turn it back?

[Jackie Holden]

We always would check to see if it seems likely that there would be another government department that would have the relevant information, and we would contact that department—that happens relatively frequently—to make sure the requester receives service.

[Patricia Davidson, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Paul Szabo]

Thank you.

Mr. Siksay.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Makichuk, I want to come back to the issue Mr. Easter raised about the advance notice you were given of some questions from Mr. Poilievre. You confirmed that you had received advance notice of some of those questions or all of those questions?

[Tom Makichuk]

Yes, I received a document earlier this morning.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Who did you receive that document from?

[Tom Makichuk]

The document was passed to me by my director general.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Did that document also include suggested answers to those questions, Mr. Makichuk?

[Tom Makichuk]

No, there were no suggested answers.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

It's just a list of possible questions that might come from the government this morning.

[Tom Makichuk]

It was simply a list of possible questions.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Okay. Was it identified as possible government questions, or just general questions that might come up at the meeting this morning?

[Tom Makichuk]

I can't recall that detail.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Have the questions that were on that document come up from other members this morning, or specifically from Mr. Poilievre?

[Tom Makichuk]

The only questions that I recall receiving from that list came from Mr. Poilievre.

[Bill Siksay, NDP, Burnaby—Douglas, BC]

Ms. Brennan, did you receive an advance notice of any possible questions this morning?

[Denise Brennan]

No, I did not.