The Freedom of Information fight at the B.C. legislature

The BC legislature's marathon 4 a.m. session on Bill 9, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act, wasn't just procedural theater—it was a high-stakes political showdown over transparency. While the NDP used its majority to cut off debate, opposition members, including Adam Olson and the Greens, used the extended sitting as a strategic filibuster to spotlight what they see as a dangerous shift: replacing 'without delay' with 'without unreasonable delay' in FOI response timelines. This subtle change, they argue, hands government agencies unchecked power to decide what constitutes 'reasonable' access, effectively enabling obstruction. The debate revealed deep skepticism about the government’s claim that modern data overload justifies the change, with critics pointing out that the same technology enabling information overload also enables better access. Meanwhile, the episode also examined Attorney General Nikki Sharma’s updated victims of crime policy, driven by the Stanton Report, which aims to rebuild trust in the justice system for survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault—particularly among Indigenous women, who face disproportionately high rates. Panelists stressed that policy changes alone won’t reduce violence unless accompanied by systemic alignment across police, prosecution, health, and public safety ministries.