The Information and Privacy Commissioner, Phil Wall, has released his Report 2007-017 under authority of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. A summary of the Report is included below.

To view the Report in its entirety, please go to //www.oipc.gov.nl.ca/reports.htm

Report: 2007-017
Report Date: November 15, 2007
Public Body: Department of Natural Resources

Summary: The Applicant applied under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the "ATIPPA") for access to records in the custody of the Department of Natural Resources (the "Department"). The Department determined that releasing the requested information might affect the business interests of the Third Party as contemplated by section 27 of the ATIPPA. The Department advised the Third Party of this, but after further consideration, it informed the Third Party that it intended to release the information, because it had determined that the information it intended to disclose to the Applicant did not fall under the exception to access as set out in section 27. The Third Party then filed a Request for Review with the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner with the intention of preventing the records from being released to the Applicant. The Commissioner found that the Third Party had failed to meet the threshold of proof required for the Commissioner to recommend that the information be withheld. The Commissioner recommended that the Department proceed to release the records as per its previous decision.

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Media contact:

Sandy Hounsell
Assistant Commissioner
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
709-729-6309

2007 11 20                                                    10:40 a.m.