Liberals striving for 'balance' on federal transparency, Trudeau says
by Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
Posted Dec 17, 2020 4:00 am EDT
Last Updated Dec 17, 2020 at 4:14 am EDT
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says while he is committed to transparency in the federal government, being too forthcoming can hinder the government’s ability to wrestle with tough decisions.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Trudeau defended the Liberal record on openness, pointing to the publication of ministerial mandate letters and efforts to make more data available through restoration of the long-form census.
Information commissioner Caroline Maynard has criticized the Trudeau government for failing to provide the resources that departments and agencies need to answer the steeply growing number of requests from the public under the Access to Information Act.