The Information and Privacy Commissioner, Ed Ring, has released his Report A-2009-005 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-access.htm

Report: A-2009-005
Report Date: April 3, 2009
Public Body: Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs
Summary:
The Applicant applied under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the "ATIPPA") for access to the briefing notes of the Department of Labrador and Aboriginal Affairs (the "Department") which were prepared for the House of Assembly, 46^th General Assembly - First Session 2008. The Department granted access to a portion of the records and severed other portions citing section 20 of the ATIPPA. The Commissioner found that some information was appropriately severed under section 20; however, section 20 was not applicable to most of the information for which it was claimed. A large portion of the severed information was factual information as provided for under section 20(2)(a) and other severed information did not reveal advice and recommendations. Therefore, it was found that this information could not be withheld under section 20(1)(a). The Commissioner recommended release of all information that had not previously been disclosed to the Applicant with the exception of the information protected from release by section 20(1)(a).

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Media contact:

Ed Ring
Information and Privacy Commissioner
709-729-6309