N.S. privacy commissioner questions transparency around cabinet records

Nova Scotia's information and privacy commissioner, David Nurse, has raised concerns about the proposed changes to public access to provincial cabinet records. In his annual report, Nurse argues that these new rules will significantly reduce transparency. As of April, all cabinet records will be completely shielded from requests made under the province’s freedom of information law.

Currently, the government can withhold information that reveals the substance of cabinet discussions, only releasing background details. Nurse contends that Nova Scotians already receive very limited access to these records. He maintains that the current law does not provide unreasonable access to records.

Nurse points out that this change deviates from the practices in other provinces, such as British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador. He questions the rationale behind these "dramatic" changes to the law, stating there is no valid reason for such a shift.