Hon. Michael L. MacDonald: Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate and concerns our access to information system. According to an answer to a written question from Conservative member of Parliament Kelly McCauley tabled in the House of Commons, the Trudeau government paid private consultants over $39 million to process access to information requests. This $39 million has been spent just since January 1, 2020.

Senator Gold, the annual report of the Information Commissioner says that in 2021-22, access to information staff in 28 federal institutions had no access or limited on-site access for processing physical files. Given this, how can the government justify paying tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to consultants to censor government documents?

Senator MacDonald: According to the answer tabled in the other place in February of this year, the Department of National Defence awarded a contract of $125,000 of taxpayer dollars to one consultant firm to process just one Access to Information and Privacy, or ATIP, request. As well, the document showed that Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada paid $36,000 to one consulting firm for a contract between February and March of 2020, and processed no access to information requests — not one.

Senator Gold, how does the government possibly justify these contracts?