Tim Naumetz has a report in today’s Ottawa Citizen which details a memo dug up by professional document digger Ken Rubin that indicates that Treasury Board President John Baird agreed to set up a separate computer system in his office to hide contracts, memos and other documents from from Access-to-Information requests. Naumetz reports that the system was set up by the Liberals and Baird chose to keep it:
Access denied: Confidential computer dodges info laws
A government briefing note to Treasury Board President John Baird discloses the existence of a confidential computer system designed to keep ministerial documents, including contracts, from the public.
The memorandum sent to Mr. Baird soon after the Conservative government took office last February advised him that even though the Tories promised to make cabinet ministers subject to the Access to Information Act, a “segregated” Internet server could be established to ensure his documents could not be obtained under the act.
An aide to Mr. Baird said the system was established at Treasury Board in 2004 under the former Liberal government of Paul Martin …. The memo warns if a minister or their staff give control of their records to a government institution, the records become subject to public access under the information law. Government officials took the position ministerial documents were not covered by the act.
… The memo noted the Conservative government had promised to incorporate recommendations from former information commissioner John Reid — including expansion of the Information Act to cover ministerial documents — in its new government accountability act. But the Conservatives postponed those amendments to the access law …