Opposition members in the legislature are voicing frustration after learning that recommended changes to Prince Edward Island’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPP) will not be implemented until at least 2028.
Committee recommendations left waiting
A legislative committee handed in a report last fall that included 27 recommendations to modernize the act, which allows members of the public to request documents and records from government and public bodies. The law is due for review every six years; the last major update came in 2018.
Opposition critics say the public expected many of the committee’s proposals to be adopted much sooner. Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly warned the delay will leave the province trailing accepted practices for public access to information.
"They want effective government and they want to see how those decisions are being made. And right now they find there's too many barriers,"
McNeilly also pointed to what he described as rising costs tied to obtaining records, saying that process can place Islanders at a disadvantage when they try to hold authorities to account.
Concerns about fees and municipal coverage
Green Party Leader Matt MacFarlane said the committee report was clear about the changes needed to make FOIPP work better for Islanders and accused the government of delaying by choice rather than necessity.
"This government has always said it's the most transparent government in the history of the province — not seeing it. If they really wanted to back that up, they would make the changes that have been recommended by the committee,"
Among the committee’s recommendations were expanding the law’s coverage to include more municipalities — cited examples include Three Rivers and Kensington — and removing or lowering high fees that can be charged to access records.
Opposition members highlighted a recent example where a local couple received a roughly $13,000 bill after requesting records about oversight of a nearby dumpsite following concerns their well had been contaminated. Critics say such bills deter ordinary Islanders from using FOIPP.
- FOIPP is reviewed every six years; last major update was in 2018.
- A legislative committee issued 27 recommendations last fall.
- Implementation of changes has been deferred until at least 2028.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Number of recommendations | 27 |
| Last major update | 2018 |
| Earliest implementation now expected | 2028 |
The delay raises questions about how quickly the province will act to improve transparency, the scope of public bodies covered by FOIPP and whether fees that can be prohibitive will be reduced. Islanders concerned about access to government records say they want clearer, faster and more affordable routes to information.
For now, the recommendations remain on the legislative to-do list, with opposition parties urging the government to move faster to adopt the changes the committee outlined.
