Executive Council
December 24, 2013
Open, Accessible,
Accountable, Responsible
Provincial Government Making More
Information Available Online
The Provincial Government made significant progress in the past year in
providing access to information to residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.
“As a government, we recognize the importance of providing people with
access to records and other information while upholding our obligation to
protect personal and private information. In the past year, government
departments have posted numerous reports and documents online that were not
always publicly available. We encourage residents to go online to access
this information, so they will be informed on key activities of the
Provincial Government.”
- Honourable Steve Kent, Acting Minister Responsible for the Office of
Public Engagement
Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province in Canada to post all government department responses to general access to information requests online. Since January 2013, the Provincial Government has posted more than 260 responses to general requests for information. The majority of general access requests to government departments have resulted in full or partial disclosure. This information can be found at: www.atipp.gov.nl.ca/info/completed/index.html.
“In 2013 we posted information on a number of ongoing initiatives
including the provincial ambulance review, the school transportation review,
bridge inspection reports, tourism highlights and statistics, and child
protection statistics. There are now 37 documents online that have been
identified and released as part of the Provincial Government’s proactive
disclosure initiative.”
- Minister Kent
Posted information can be viewed on department websites as well as the
proactive disclosure webpage launched this year:
www.ope.gov.nl.ca/openinfo/proactive_disclosures.html.
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to open and
transparent government and to engaging youth, the volunteer sector, families
and communities to build a vibrant and prosperous province.
QUICK FACTS
- Since January 2013, the majority of general access to information requests
to government departments have resulted in full or partial disclosure.
- In the past three months, over 95 per cent of requests for general and
personal information received by government departments were responded to
within the required timeframe.
- A formal request for information is not always necessary. If there is
information a person is interested in obtaining, they are encouraged to
first contact the relevant department’s access to information coordinator. A
list of coordinators can be found at:
www.atipp.gov.nl.ca/info/coordinators.html
- A mandatory review of the access to information legislation is required every five years. The first review was conducted in 2010 and the next review is required in 2015.
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Media contact:
Kristina George
Communications Manager
Office of Public Engagement
709-729-1221, 687-9081
kristinageorge@gov.nl.ca
2013 12 24 10:15 a.m.