Canada's Federal Government Wins 'Code of Silence' Award for Worst Access to Information Performance
Event summary
- Canada's federal government received the 'Code of Silence' Award for Outstanding Achievements in Government Secrecy due to its worst-ever performance in timely responses to access-to-information requests.
- In 2024-2025, over 35% of all requests were delivered after legislated deadlines, marking the lowest rate of completion on record.
- The percentage of on-time responses has dropped from 82% in 2014-2015 to around 70% in 2023-2024.
- Library and Archives Canada received a dis-honourable mention for refusing to release a 40-year-old list of suspected Nazis admitted to Canada post-WWII.
The big picture
Canada's federal government continues to struggle with transparency and accountability, as evidenced by its repeated receipt of the 'Code of Silence' Award. Despite record investments and promises of reform, the system has deteriorated significantly over the past decade. This trend raises concerns about the government's ability to uphold public trust and comply with access-to-information legislation.
What we're watching
- Regulatory Headwinds
- Whether the federal government's internal review of its access-to-information law will result in meaningful reforms or continue to delay necessary changes.
- Governance Dynamics
- How the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages' ruling on proactive document posting will impact transparency initiatives across other federal agencies.
- Execution Risk
- The pace at which the federal government can improve its access-to-information performance, given the precipitous decline over the past decade.