Brokering Access

A provocative, multi-perspective exploration of a basic democratic right – access to information – and how it plays out at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels.

Drawing together the perspectives of social scientists, journalists, and ATI advocates, Brokering Access explores the policies and practices surrounding access to information in Canada, highlighting the struggle between the public’s desire for transparency and the government’s culture of secrecy.

Is the business of public officials any of the public’s business? Most Canadians would argue that it is – that we citizens are entitled to enquire and get answers about our government’s actions. Yet, on a practical level, there still exists a struggle between the public’s quest for accountability and the government’s culture of secrecy.

Drawing together the unique perspectives of social scientists, journalists, and access to information (ATI) advocates, Brokering Access explores the history of ATI law and supplies multiple examples of its contemporary application at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels. From restrictions to access of airport security data post-9/11 to censorship under the Access to Information Act to the difficulties of obtaining details on streetscape video surveillance, this book reveals the legal and bureaucratic obstacles citizens face when trying to access government information.