Province to Introduce Information Commissioner: Doer

11/22/2006

CBC News (Canada)

People in Manitoba will have better access to information, as well as get extra assistance protecting their own personal information, Premier Gary Doer said Wednesday.

Doer said his government will introduce legislation to create the office of a new information commissioner, which will help the provincial ombudsman handle access-to-information requests.

He made the statement after Tory Leader Hugh McFadyen asked Wednesday why the NDP government had failed to establish such an office, even though the NDP had called for the establishment of a privacy commissioner before it was elected to office in 1999.

"Manitoba's one of the last jurisdictions in Canada to not have an independent officer charged with the responsibility of dealing with issues of access to information and privacy," McFadyen said during question period.

"So can the premier please explain, seven years later, why he hasn't kept his promise to make government more accountable? Why hasn't he granted the necessary powers to the ombudsman? Why hasn't he established a privacy commissioner for the people of Manitoba?"

Identity theft bill aims to protect consumers

The province also unveiled a proposed law Wednesday that will give consumers more protection from fraud and identity theft.

Under the bill, consumers who believe someone is using their identity to take out loans or buy items on credit would have the right to call a credit reporting agency, such as Equifax, and have it put a security alert on their files.

When that happens, any bank or retailer that runs a credit check would be alerted, and would have to take extra steps to ensure the consumer's identity is correct.

Under the proposed law, consumers would also be contacted any time a request for a credit check is made.

Boost gov't accountability with more meetings

Doer said Wednesday the government will also increase its own accountability to the public by mandating more meetings of the Public Accounts Committee.

The committee of MLAs, which oversees public spending, has met only twice this year. It averages about three meetings a year, and is so backlogged that it is still handling some issues from 2003.