ETHI Committee Meeting

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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

Meeting No. 32

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

The Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics met at 3:32 p.m. this day, in Room 269, West Block, the Chair, Paul Szabo, presiding.

Members of the Committee present: Russ Hiebert, Hon. Charles Hubbard, Carole Lavallée, Richard Nadeau, Glen Douglas Pearson, Paul Szabo, David Tilson, Dave Van Kesteren and Mike Wallace.

Acting Members present: Hon. Michael D. Chong for Dave Batters, Hon. Irwin Cotler for Sukh Dhaliwal and Brian Masse for Pat Martin.

Other Members present: Hon. Gurbax S. Malhi.

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Nancy Holmes, Analyst.

Witnesses: Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic: Philippa Lawson, Director. Canada Border Services Agency: Paul Colpitts, Director, Access to Information, Privacy and Disclosure Policy Division; Caroline Melis, Director General, Intelligence Directorate, Enforcement Branch; Janet Rumball, Director of Outreach and Consultation, Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and Innovation, Science and Technology Branch.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the Committee on November 22, 2007, the Committee resumed its study of the Privacy Act Reform.

Philippa Lawson made a statement and answered questions.

Carole Lavallée moved, — That pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the parliamentary Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics report to the House as its 6th report that it:

• deplores the fact that, at the request of Treasury Board, as of April 1 2008 officials are no longer updating the Coordination of Access to Information Requests System (CAIRS), a central database for all requests filed with the government under the Access to Information Act; and

• demands that the Conservative government reinstate this tool, which promotes transparency and accountability; and

• encourages the Conservative government to make this database available online and free of charge.

The question was put on the motion and the results of the vote was announced: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 5.

Whereupon, the Chair voted in the affirmative.

Accordingly, the motion was agreed to.

The witnesses from the Canada Border Services Agency answered questions.

At 5:32 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

Richard Rumas
Clerk of the Committee

2009/01/08 11:41 a.m.