OTTAWA — The Trudeau government’s proposed changes to the Access to Information Act could hamper efforts to settle Indigenous land claims, the federal information watchdog says. For instance, a requester might not know the date a property title they seek was drafted — but that missing information could disqualify the request. The Liberal government says the bill, introduced last June, represents the first real modernization of the law since it took effect in 1983. Defence took the position that since the request did not specify a subject matter, it would not process the application. In addition, the bill backpedals on a promise to give the information commissioner genuine power to make orders about the release of records, she said.

Source: National Post November 01, 2017 21:24 UTC