Coordination of Access to Information Requests System
Encyclopedia
The Coordination of Access to Information Requests System, also known as CAIRS, was a database of freedom of information
requests made to the federal government of Canada under the Access to Information Act
. It was operated by the Department of Public Works and Government Services. It was created in 1989 to internally track requests, and eventually allowed for access to previously filed requests, previously released documents, and then current requests. By 2008, millions of documents are available through CAIRS. In 2001, Public Works spent C$166,000 upgrading the system.
Effective April 1, 2008, the Treasury Board
has stated that "the requirement to update CAIRS is no longer in effect". Conservative
Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
explained this decision as a result of CAIRS being "deemed expensive, [and] deemed to slow down the access to information." Treasury Board President Vic Toews
described the system as a tool used to inhibit freedom of information:
In response, Liberal
Leader of the Opposition
Stéphane Dion
described Harper's government as "the most secretive government in the history of our country."
While the government cited Alastair Roberts
, a Syracuse University
political scientist, as a critic of CAIRS, Roberts publicly commented that he was not in favour of shutting down the system, saying "They really don't care what I think about CAIRS or any other aspect of ATI [access to information]...[i]f they did they would have taken my advice about CAIRS a few years ago when I said they ought to switch on the capacity to make the entire thing publicly accessible."
Freedom of information in Canada
Freedom of information in Canada describes the capacity for the Canadian Government to provide timely and accurate access to internal data concerning government services....
requests made to the federal government of Canada under the Access to Information Act
Access to Information Act
Access to Information Act or Information Act is a Canadian act providing the right of access to information under the control of a government institution...
. It was operated by the Department of Public Works and Government Services. It was created in 1989 to internally track requests, and eventually allowed for access to previously filed requests, previously released documents, and then current requests. By 2008, millions of documents are available through CAIRS. In 2001, Public Works spent C$166,000 upgrading the system.
Effective April 1, 2008, the Treasury Board
Treasury Board
The Treasury Board is the Government of Canada's only statutory Cabinet committee and is responsible for the federal civil service much of the operation of the Canadian government. Among its specific duties are negotiating labour agreements with the public service unions and serving as Comptroller...
has stated that "the requirement to update CAIRS is no longer in effect". Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
explained this decision as a result of CAIRS being "deemed expensive, [and] deemed to slow down the access to information." Treasury Board President Vic Toews
Vic Toews
Victor "Vic" Toews, PC QC MP is a Canadian politician. He has represented Provencher in the Canadian House of Commons since 2000, and currently serves in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as Minister of Public Safety. He previously served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from...
described the system as a tool used to inhibit freedom of information:
"If anyone made a request that was considered sensitive, the request was shipped to the appropriate Liberal minister. At that point the Liberal minister would manage, control or delay the request. That was the purpose of the system. That is a pretty convenient system the Liberals had, but it is not one that the government will continue with."
In response, Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Canada)
The Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , or simply the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of Canada's Official Opposition, the party with the most seats in the House of Commons that is not a member of the government...
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Dion
Stéphane Maurice Dion, PC, MP is a Canadian politician who has been the Member of Parliament for the riding of Saint-Laurent–Cartierville in Montreal since 1996. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 2006 to 2008...
described Harper's government as "the most secretive government in the history of our country."
While the government cited Alastair Roberts
Alasdair Roberts (academic)
Alasdair S. Roberts is a Canadian professor at Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts, and author of articles and books on public policy issues, especially relating to government secrecy and the exercise of government authority.-Education:...
, a Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
political scientist, as a critic of CAIRS, Roberts publicly commented that he was not in favour of shutting down the system, saying "They really don't care what I think about CAIRS or any other aspect of ATI [access to information]...[i]f they did they would have taken my advice about CAIRS a few years ago when I said they ought to switch on the capacity to make the entire thing publicly accessible."
External links
- Online Democracy - a database created using monthly CAIRS reports