Hon. Salma Ataullahjan: Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate. The Information Commissioner’s 2021-2022 Annual Report shows a 70% increase in complaints over the previous year: the highest volume of complaints since this office was created almost 40 years ago in 1983.

Commissioner Maynard stated, “A number of institutions are not meeting their legislative obligations, while some appear to consider them as optional.”

The commissioner says that the pandemic can no longer be used as an excuse for failing to live up to these obligations.

Leader, your government came to office promising openness and transparency. Instead, under your watch, access to information is now arguably the worst it has ever been. What will you do to address the crisis in the system for access to information across your government?

Senator Ataullahjan: In a report released in April, and again in an annual report last week, Commissioner Maynard made specific mention of the excessive delays for access to information requests at Library and Archives Canada, where almost 80% of responses do not comply with the timelines laid out in the legislation. The commissioner is very critical of Minister Rodriguez in her reports, saying she is not convinced the minister has an understanding of the critical situation at Library and Archives Canada. As well, the commissioner said the minister’s response to her recommendations lacked any sense of urgency and in some cases did not even address her recommendations.

Leader, the commissioner says Minister Rodriguez won’t commit to anything other than the status quo at Library and Archives Canada, which she finds wholly inadequate. How will the delays ever be resolved if the minister doesn’t even realize there is a problem?