PSCI 332 Public Administration II e-Government (and Other Issues) Feb.9th

Course Topics information management – control of information at the centre – access to information – whistle-blowing – e-government real topic – centralization of power in government

Centralization of Power centralization of power/control of information at centre of government (Savoie) counter-trends (class discussions) – access to information – whistle-blowing – e-government how significant a challenge to the centralization of power are these counter-trends – if not, could they become so? – arguments in favour and against

Freedom of Information Promise and Perils January 9, 2000

Freedom of Information What is it? – ATIA Access to Information Act – provides right of access to government information

Freedom of Information Why? – protecting citizens from arbitrary decisions – improving public understanding of the policy- making process – improving public trust in government – enforcing sound public policy

Freedom of Information Why Not? – frank advice – relationships with other governments domestic (federal-provincial) international – communication relationships with other organizations – regulatory and security functions – cost

Access to Information FOI rights – narrow or broad exemptions implementation – resources – compliance/monitoring – fees – appeals procedure complaint driven incident driven

Exemptions public vs. private organizations privacy rights substantive exemptions – advice – cabinet confidences

Cabinet Confidences provisions of cabinet confidence secrecy no disclosure required under ANY circumstances for 20 years no independent review – determined by cabinet no class test, no injury test why? candid advice collective responsibility freedom to manoeuvre

Strategies of Resistance malicious non-compliance adversarialism neglect/maladministration

Recent federal trends longstanding complaints longstanding complaints changes in processing time, disclosure practices changes in processing time, disclosure practices Weaknesses in enforcement methods Weaknesses in enforcement methods

Changes in Processing Time 5 Major Departments Number of Requests Completed in 60 Days

Explaining Recent Trends trends – slower processing times – more exempted material – more complaints possible explanations? – change in the way government “does business” – government counter-attack against FOI

The New Public Management and FOI What is the NPM? Effects on FOI? – cutting costs of non-essential functions (including administration of FOI) – transferring functions to non-departmental organizations (outside the scope of FOI laws) – commodification of government information cost recovery right to sell information

Cost/Fees cost and fee imbalance estimated cost of administering FOI: $24Million fees collected: $290,000 suggested proposal – requester pays 10% of costs costs in perspective –federal spending for advertising, publishing, printing, public relations and public affairs services: $350 million low fees as “an explicit subsidy to major media conglomerates”