I think it is positive that the government is prepared to delete this odious section that allows the government to reject requests simply because they lack the specific subject matter, the type, or the period. I think that is progress.
First, on this notion that somehow we could be happy that there's a duty to assist, I would point out that the remedy is a little bit indirect. If a public servant doesn't make every reasonable effort to assist the person with the request, the remedy is probably a disciplinary matter. I suspect it would be something indirect like that. Meanwhile, people aren't getting the records they requested and information delayed is information denied. Looking at that as the hook to say that everything is fine now is something I don't understand.
Second, these things you are now requiring—identify the subject matter, the type of record, and the period—are obviously to assist the public servant in discharging his or her responsibility to identify the record, but the section that's going to remain, 6.1, deals with the problem of large volumes or frivolous or vexatious requests, or people who've already been given the record. In keeping those things, it's hard for me to understand why you still need to have the things in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c), which put an obstacle in front of the right to know. They add nothing except an obstacle for reasons I do not understand.