RCMP Watch

Canadian Press

The RCMP, already reeling from a series of headaches, has received a failing grade for “floundering badly” at answering information requests from Canadians.

In his first annual report as information commissioner, Robert Marleau gave the Mounties an “F” Tuesday on their efforts to comply with the Access to Information Act.

Marleau also flunked the Privy Council Office - the bureaucracy that serves the prime minister and cabinet - as well as the Canada Border Services Agency, Health Canada and Justice.

For $5, Canadians can ask federal agencies for a range of files, from expense reports to briefing notes.
Agencies are supposed to respond within 30 days, or at least provide good reasons why they need more time.

Institutions receive an “F” from the information commissioner if they answer more than 20 per cent of requests late.

“The RCMP is floundering badly. It does not have a coherent plan in place with specific deliverables and target dates,” the report says. “While it is true that the RCMP has a large workload of access requests with which to cope, it can, and must, do better.”

Yves Marineau, the RCMP’s Access to Information co-ordinator, said the organization has invested money and people to solve the problem. “We do have a plan in place,” he said. “We’re definitely striving to do better in the future.”

The information commissioner, an ombudsman for users of the act, investigates complaints and encourages departments to meet the requirements of the law.

Marleau’s report laments that responses to access requests are too often late, incomplete or too censored.

It says the Privy Council Office, which has received a failing mark three years in a row, cannot answer its modest workload of requests on time due to a “burdensome and unusual approval process” that depends on signoff from an array of senior officials.

The report also charges that access is denied to hide wrongdoing, or to protect officials or government from embarrassment.

John Reid, Marleau’s predecessor, was commissioner for much of the 2006-07 reporting year covered by the report.