Mr. Speaker, in response to the culture of secrecy of the current government, Canada's federal, provincial and territorial access to information and privacy commissioners recently reached a unanimous resolution on the need for open government.
Calls for greater openness and transparency are exerting increasing pressure on the government to transform its traditional reactive information dissemination methods into a mode that facilitates proactive disclosure.
Enriching information resources provides communication channels, promotes citizen engagement, instills trust in government, fosters economic opportunities, and ultimately results in more open, responsive and democratic government.
Technological advances create risk as well as opportunities which require a comprehensive strategy to better protect our privacy and access rights.
Accordingly, it is time for the Government of Canada to commit to work with Canada's access to information and privacy commissioners and experts across the country to better protect our rights and achieve a more open, responsive and democratic government.