Mr. Speaker, the information requested by the member cannot be generated directly from government information systems. Though the government was able to compile a list of approximately 850 names of press gallery members since 1992 from a review of relevant Canadian parliamentary guides, this information is not sufficient to extract from government information systems an accurate and complete reply to the member’s question, as it would not ensure that the individuals identified are the same individuals who are or were members of the press gallery. Thus, any answer provided by the government, on the basis of what the government can currently generate, would not be complete or accurate.
Additional corroborating information, such as date of birth or confirmation of membership in the press gallery, would be required to be able to accurately identify the individuals covered by the member’s question. There is no known public source from which this information could be gathered.
The government has no authority, given privacy considerations, to compel individuals to provide the type of corroborating information that would be necessary to provide a proper answer to the member’s question.