CALGARY, AB: Today the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) sent a letter to Jill Clayton, the Information & Privacy Commissioner requesting that she investigate whether or not the FOIP Act was violated after a CBC investigation found that political officials were tracking and unnecessarily delaying Freedom of Information requests by the CTF.

“Access to public information without political interference is paramount in a modern democracy,” said CTF Alberta Director, Derek Fildebrandt. “If politicians and their political staff are getting private information about requestors or delaying release of information for political reasons, we need to get to the bottom of that.”

The CBC found Health Minister Fred Horne and his press secretary, Bart Johnson were given the information the CTF requested two months before it was released to the CTF, including notification that it was requested by the CTF. Johnson used the information to prepare a talking-points memo for Fred Horne as potential responses to the CTF’s request for former Health Minister Ron Liepert’s expense claims.

The CTF’s letter to the Information Commissioner focuses on Section 40(1)(h) of the Freedom of Information & Privacy Act that the CTF believes allow only non-political public servants necessary for the release of the requested information to be be given the identity of the requester, and only on a need-to-know basis.

The documents obtained by the CBC show that Fred Horne’s political staff was provided with the expenses requested by the CTF a full two months before they were released.

The CTF is also requesting the Commissioner investigate if political interference from Fred Horne’s office was a factor in delaying the release of requested expense claims to the CTF.

“We fought the government tooth-and-nail to obtain the expense records of its ministers and were provided with no end of excuses for why it was taking so long,” said Fildebrandt. “Knowledge that Fred Horne’s office was given a sneak-peek at these documents two months before we received them raises real concerns that their release was intentionally delayed for political reasons.”

The CTF’s letter to Ms. Clayton can be found HERE.