Evidence of meeting #50 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 cbc.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Harold Albrecht Conservative Kitchener—Conestoga, ON
Thank you to the witnesses for being here today.
We were given a commentary by Michel Drapeau, who is an adjunct professor of law at the University of Ottawa. He made some significant comments here about his expectation as a professor of law dealing specifically with access to information issues. He made the points that he believes the CBC, being a media corporation, should have been particularly well prepared to anticipate the number of ATI requests. He said that they should have an ambidextrous capability to foresee what preparations, measures, arrangements, and so on were necessary. He also said that CBC would not want to risk its well-deserved reputation and pointed out it has the necessary financial assets.
He went on to say that not surprisingly, from the very start CBC complained of being swamped by ATI requests. To deal with the influx, CBC stalled the process by relying on being granted extensions. Further, he said that CBC continued to act surprised by the volume of access to information requests.
If I were responding to a report that was done in 2008 with a 57% refusal rate, I probably could accept that as a member of Parliament, but here we are four years into the process and we're still dealing with a 57% refusal rate. I guess I find that difficult to justify.
I have to take at face value your comment that this year is better. We don't have the actual evidence of that yet in a report, but how can we, as members of Parliament, be assured, after four years when we've only gotten to 57%, that in the next year we're going to get down to 20%? That's my concern.
President and Chief Executive Officer, CBC/Radio-Canada
There are a bunch of things. First, I'd be happy to comment on Mr. Drapeau's paper if we could get a copy of it. We were not fortunate enough to be copied on it, so I have no idea what this is all about.
As you know, there's a clear link between Monsieur Drapeau and Quebecor Media. He doesn't work for them, but he has as a client sometimes Quebecor Media Inc.
Yes, 20.17% is where we are right now. You're going to have to take my word for it until you see it in Madame Legault's report the next time she comes in.
On being prepared, I tried to address this a few minutes ago. Let me come back to that. When we became subject to access to information, we actually did our diligence. I told you that we talked to the Treasury Board Secretariat and tried to find out the numbers and what the federal government agencies and crowns were getting in terms of volume. We went to the BBC, because the closest thing to a broadcaster like ours that is subject to access to information is the BBC. We looked at the size and their number of requests. We actually got 434 requests in the first couple of months. If you look at their numbers, they got 80 requests for 70 million Brits, and their organization is three to five times bigger than ours is.
Yes, we prepared according to our due diligence. We were surprised and overwhelmed, and we're working on it.
Liberal
Conservative
Paul Calandra Conservative Oak Ridges—Markham, ON
I don't know if it is something that is in order, but I would seek unanimous consent to continue on for another 15 minutes, until 5:30, because we did wait three months for this.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
We still have the approval of the minutes from the steering committee and we have a motion, Mr. Calandra.
Does Mr. Calandra have unanimous consent to continue until 5:30?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
There is not unanimous consent.
On behalf of all members of the committee, I want to thank you very much for your appearance here today. I want to thank you for the work you have put into it.
Before we adjourn this part of the meeting, I'm going to ask each of you, starting with you, Madame Legault, if you have any closing remarks you want to make to the committee. Then we'll come to Monsieur Lacroix.
Madame Legault.
Information Commissioner, Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada
No, I don't have any comments other than to thank the committee for the follow-ups that the committee is doing on report cards. I think it is part and parcel of the accountability framework for institutions, and I really thank the committee for this work. I think it's very useful.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
As I said before, most likely we'll have you back with the Canada Post officials in the relatively near future.
Monsieur Lacroix.
President and Chief Executive Officer, CBC/Radio-Canada
Mr. Chairman, we're disappointed with the F. We are working on making this better. As president and CEO, I can tell you that you have a commitment from CBC/Radio-Canada.
The numbers are improving. You'll see that in the next report card Madame Legault presents in front of this committee.
Thank you.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
I want to thank you very much.
The committee has a few other minor matters to deal with.
The first item is the approval of the minutes of the steering committee meeting, which was held earlier today. There are only two items that require approval and discussion. The first is that the proposed committee business calendar be approved as presented. That calendar has been circulated. You all have a copy.
The second item is that the committee commence a study on the special report of the Information Commissioner, “Open Outlook, Open Access”, and that we call before us both the commissioner and the president of Canada Post, Mr. Deepak Chopra. They would be invited to appear before the committee probably sometime in April, or the early part of May, depending on the schedules of witnesses.
The chair would entertain a mover for that motion.
It is so moved by Mr. Siksay.
(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
The last item is the motion from Madame Freeman.
I'll get Madame Freeman to read this and then perhaps speak to it, for up to two minutes. We'll entertain a few interventions, and then hopefully we can conclude.
Madame Freeman.
Bloc
Carole Freeman Bloc Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC
Mr. Chair, my motion reads as follows:
That, in relation to Corinne Charette's (Chief Information Officer -Treasury Board Secretariat) appearance on February 9, 2011, at which she committed to providing the Committee, within 1 month, the Treasury Board's 5-point plan on open government/open data, a detailed summary on what has been accomplished to date and their of plan of action going forward in the coming months, and since this deadline of March 9, 2011, was not met, the Treasury Board Secretariat and Ms. Corinne Charette be ordered to provide these documents to the Committee, in both official languages, not later than Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.
My motion has to do with the appearance of Ms. Charette, a public servant and the Chief Information Officer at Treasury Board Secretariat, before the committee. At that time, I asked her for the government's action plan on access to information and open data, and for information on what had been accomplished and what the government planned to do in the future. Today, Stockwell Day introduced a pilot project on open data focusing on three areas: open data, accessible information and open dialogue to drive economic opportunities. We are very grateful for Mr. Day's efforts. We are also grateful for the work done by the committee, whose repeated demands were so well-received that he wasted no time in bringing his project to us. However, it is still just a pilot project, which in itself does not discharge Ms. Charette of her duty to provide the information we asked her for. It is now March 21, and she was supposed to provide it by March 9. Ms. Charette should have to submit the documents in question to the committee by 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, as per my motion.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
Thank you, Madame Freeman.
Mr. Poilievre, do you have an intervention?
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Nepean—Carleton, ON
With the information that Minister Day has provided about the open data portal, I think there should be no problem with this motion.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Thank you, Chair.
I want to say that I support Madam Freeman's motion. I think it's very important that we follow up on it before we hear from the minister. I don't think the pilot project goes anywhere close to meeting the demands for open government or open data. I'm disappointed that it's a pilot project and not a permanent project of the government. That's what it needs to be.
But pertaining to this motion, I think it's very important that we remind Madam Charette that this information is crucial to the work the committee is doing.
Conservative
Patricia Davidson Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Mr. Chair, I want to point out that in the English copy I have there appears to be a typo. It says “detailed summary on what has been accomplished to date and their of...”. There's an extra “of” in there. I think it's a typo.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Shawn Murphy
Yes.
Okay, it looks like we're ready for the question.
(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
That concludes the business before this meeting.
As everyone is aware, we're having a special meeting tonight at seven o'clock. It's right here. We'll be back at seven o'clock.
Enjoy the next hour and a half.
The meeting is adjourned.