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After FOI requests exposed tens of thousands spent on government gift cards, the NDP's response is to make FOI harder so news of similar programs don’t get out

Conservative Interim Leader of the Official Opposition and Critic for Citizen Services and Caucus Chair Jody Toor, are calling on the Eby NDP government to withdraw Bill 9, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act, 2026,warning it will further erode transparency and make it easier for government to hide information from the public.

"Bill 9 is out of touch and unaccountable," said Halford. 

"After Freedom of Information requests exposed tens of thousands spent on government gift cards, the NDP's response isn't to cancel the gift-card giveaway but to make FOI harder so similar programs don’t get out, that tells you everything about this government's priorities."

Bill 9 would expand the grounds government can use to ask the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) to dismiss requests and would add new fees for records that should be proactively disclosed. Halford said Bill 9 fits a growing pattern of the Eby NDP centralizing control, limiting scrutiny, and weakening independent oversight.

"Last week, the NDP targeted independent oversight by moving to eliminate the Office of the Merit Commissioner," said Halford. 

"This week, they're weakening Freedom of Information. This couldn't be more out of touch with the needs of British Columbians."

Toor added that government's increasing reliance on NDAs and closed-door practices reinforces the same trend: "withhold information, enforce silence, and avoid accountability."

"British Columbia has record debt, a record deficit, and record spending-while outcomes keep getting worse," said Toor. "People are asking where the money went. Bill 9 makes it harder to find out."


Background | What's in the bill


Clause 13 would expand the categories used to seek dismissal of requests by adding terms like "malicious," "abusive," "repetitious," "excessively broad," or requests that "unreasonably interfere with operations of government."


Clause 21 would allow public bodies to charge fees for copies of records made available through proactive disclosure.


NDP Record
The NDP introduced a non-refundable $10 FOI application fee in 2021 alongside similar amendments designed to make it harder for the public to access information.  The amendments were opposed by privacy advocates, Indigenous governments, journalists and civil society groups. They government also ignored recommendations from past all-party committees and Information and Privacy Commissioners.

"FOI use has dropped sharply since the fee came in, but response times haven't improved," said Toor. "The NDP promised efficiency. What we got was fewer answers."

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