WINNIPEG: The Manitoba government is taking longer to respond to access-to-information (ATI) requests and is levying significantly higher fees on applicants, according to a new report on the province’s ATI law.
The government’s annual report on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) reveals that only 55% of the more than 1,200 ATI requests received by government departments and agencies in March were completed within the legal 45-day deadline. This indicates a growing backlog and slower processing times across the provincial government.
Furthermore, the report highlights a sharp increase in fees collected from applicants. The government collected over $13,000 in fees from those who filed requests. This total is more than triple the amount collected in the previous fiscal year, and over ten times the amount collected the year before that.
Under the province’s access-to-information legislation, applicants are entitled to two hours of free staff time for searching and processing records. After this free period, a charge of $15 is applied for every subsequent half-hour of work.
Experts expressed concern that the rising fees charged to people seeking information from the provincial government and public bodies under the law are creating a significant barrier to transparency.
Paul Thomas, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Manitoba, warned that these high costs would likely discourage citizens from seeking government information. High costs, he noted, undermine the very purpose of access-to-information laws, which are designed to ensure public accountability and democratic participation.
