Yes, it is.
I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding, because you have to really understand what clause 43 of Bill C-6 means. You have to turn back to section 24 of the Access to Information Act. What you have in the Access to Information Act are the principles of the act; then people can apply, and there's a set of exemptions, sections 12 to 26. There's commercial confidentiality and there's policy advice. Section 24 says, listen, there are certain statutory provisions passed by Parliament--and this would be one of them--confidentiality provisions within the statute, as laid out in clause 43, including the confidential reporting system, the tape system, the military plane system, and the medical doctor system, which I have less of a problem with. Those things are statutory confidentiality prohibitions that are to be totally excluded from the act. There's no injury test, there's no time limit, and there's no public interest override possible, because they fall within that section.
That's a lot different from putting in the checks and balances. I get...regulatory audits whether I agree or not. I've appealed on some, where there are commercial confidentiality citations or there's personal information or whatever. At least I get a separate report; I don't get nothing. Maybe that's fine in terms of income tax material, but in safety matters, no, it's not fine. That's what I object to. Put it under the ordinary provisions of the act.
They're putting this up God-like on a pedestal and saying confidentiality is so important, we're obsessed so much with it, trust will break down. It's not true. I've see many an access request where initially the parties have a confidentiality agreement, or claim they do, but under the Access to Information Act it isn't the case because there are other provisions that take precedence.
Really, in the end, that full and frank discussion can still occur and things can be done. But to say right from the start, sweep it away and we'll never hear anything any more, ever, is just a touch too much, so to speak.