[van-announce] The 2010 BC Information Summit

[Steve Kisby]

----- Forwarded message -----
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release
September 27, 2010

Are big changes ahead for BC's Freedom of Information and privacy law?
Information Summit debates Legislative Committee's 35 proposals for law reform

Vancouver - It's a critical time for FOI and privacy rights in BC, with some game-changing recommendations for changes to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act on the table.

A Special Committee of the Legislature completed a review of the FOIPP Act on May 31 and delivered 35 proposals for law reform. The next steps are up to the BC government. 

The 2010 BC Information Summit http://infosummit.ca/ will throw a spotlight on the issues and problems that produced the Committee's recommendations and debate what's ahead.

The summit will feature the maiden speech of Elizabeth Denham, BC's new Information and Privacy Commissioner.

The Transparency Turnaround

Government critics describe the current situation in BC as a radical inversion of the Legislature's original intent for FOI and privacy rights. They say that, over the past ten years, not only has government's will to be more transparent deteriorated badly - its focus has been turned onto the citizens instead of government.  Privacy is threatened as never before due to current plans to collect, share and disclose personal information on a scale unprecedented in Canada. 

Freedom of Information

Access to public information has never been so fraught with barriers. Requesters complain that that the legal 'duty to assist' is violated routinely and that an entrenched "culture of denial" has evolved toward access requests. And contrary to recent government statements, complaints from requesters suggest that a recent reorganization and centralization of the management of FOI requests has increased political interference and made things even worse for so-called "sensitive" requests.

The Summit will examine 19 recommendations the Special Committee made to improve access to information.

Privacy Protection

Privacy advocates were shocked during the recent review when government officials appeared before the Special Committee to present their submission. The government's recommendations are unprecedented in Canada and would revolutionize the way it collects, uses and shares personal information, and would require radical changes to the privacy part of the FOIPP Act.

Featured Speakers:

o Elizabeth Denham, BC's new Information and Privacy Commissioner
o Elaine MacKnight, Assistant Deputy Minister, Knowledge Management and Technology Division, BC Ministry of Health Services - Steps ahead for Electronic Health Records in BC
o Benjamin Goold, Associate Professor, UBC Faculty of Law - Recent Developments in Privacy Law and Data Protection in the UK: Some Lessons for British Columbia

More Speakers:

o Gwen Barlee, Policy Director, Western Canada Wilderness Committee 
o Rob Botterell, Barrister & Solicitor; former Director, Information and Privacy Branch, B.C. Government 
o Ron Cantelon, MLA, Chair, Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act
o David Flaherty, Privacy Consultant, Victoria; former Information and Privacy Commissioner/BC
o Murray Rankin, QC, Heenan Blaikie LLP; former government special advisor on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act 
o Doug Routley, MLA, Deputy Chair, Special Committee to Review the FOIPP Act
o Richard Rosenberg, Professor Emeritus, Department of Computer Science, UBC; Author, The Social Impact of Computers
o Chad Skelton, Investigative Reporter, Vancouver Sun
o Micheal Vonn, Policy Director, BC Civil Liberties Assn 

The 2010 BC Information Summit
Transparency Turnaround: When public information goes private and personal information goes public
September 29, 2010
The Theatre at UBC Robson Square
http://infosummit.ca/