B.C. revising its freedom of information system.

• Position: GOVERNMENT RECORDS - British Columbia - Brief article

British Columbia (B.C.) will revamp its Freedom of Information (FOI) system by releasing more documents proactively, restricting interference from political staff, and better helping the public access important records, according to B.C. Finance Minister Mike de Jong.

According to The Vancouver Sun, de Jong also suggested legislation to force government officials to better document their decisions, and he left open the possibility of eliminating FOI fees altogether as part of changes he said will increase confidence in the government's recordkeeping.

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"If we are spending public money then the public deserves to know," he said, adding that contracts, calendars, and scanned receipts for ministerial travel now will he routinely posted online.

De Jong said non-partisan civil servants will oversee the gathering and release of records from the partisan offices of cabinet ministers, and ministers won't be able to delay signing off on records for more than...