Proactive Publication Guidance - Access to Information Act

Proactive Publication is a new section in the Access to Information Act (Part II) that requires institutions to publish certain information known to be of interest to the public on a scheduled and proactive basis. Part II requirements under the ATIA were first introduced in June 2019 following the passage of bill C-58: an Act to amend the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

For example, Canadians can now find the titles of briefing notes to ministers and deputy ministers, Question Period notes for ministers, briefing packages prepared for incoming deputies and ministers, and materials prepared for appearances at Parliamentary Committees online at the Open Government Portal. The Portal is easy to use, allowing users to search for the type of record they wish to access, the institution it comes from, or subject matters of interest.

In all, Proactive Publication requirements apply to:

• the Prime Minister’s Office
• ministers’ offices
• federal departments, agencies, administrative tribunals and boards
• Crown corporations
• other federal institutions, such as Port Authorities
• Senators
• members of Parliament
• the administrative institutions that support Parliament and the courts

This change has significantly expanded the openness and transparency of government information and provided Canadians with unprecedented insight into the government’s priorities, decision-making and operations. Since these requirements came into force in June 2019, the Open Government Portal has given the public access to over 35,000 briefing note titles and more than 1,600 Question Period notes.