Access to Information and Canada Post

Today, the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada (OIC) released a report card on the performance of a number of institutions under the Access to Information Act, including Canada Post.

As a Crown corporation with a mandate to serve every Canadian, Canada Post subscribes to the principles of accountability and transparency that are the foundation of the Access to Information Act.

Simply put, our performance under the ATIA is unacceptable. We therefore accept the recommendations of the OIC and have already begun to act on them. Since being advised of the OIC’s concerns, we have undertaken a thorough analysis of the issues causing delay and have developed a multi-year plan to address them.

Canada Post has committed to responding to ATI requests in a more timely manner by streamlining internal processes, reducing the backlog of requests and improving internal employee awareness of our obligations under the Act. We will also adopt industry best practices and designate resources to review and process backlogged documents.

In short, we need to improve our overall performance while maintaining the level of review necessary to manage risks associated with commercially-sensitive information. Canada Post is a large, complex company operating in a competitive marketplace, with a responsibility to protect commercially-sensitive information. These factors have made, and will continue to make, our obligations under the Act challenging.

We thank the Information Commissioner for her recommendations as they have reinforced for us the importance of timely responses to requests for information. We commit to do better—now and in the future.