British Columbians are sending a clear message to Premier David Eby and the NDP government: transparency isn’t optional. On April 22, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation delivered more than 10,000 petition signatures to the legislature, urging the province to scrap Bill 9 — legislation that would significantly weaken British Columbia’s freedom-of-information laws. The bill replaces the current requirement for government to respond to FOI requests “without delay” with the far more flexible “without reasonable delay,” effectively handing bureaucrats and politicians the power to decide what counts as reasonable. It also expands their ability to deny requests they’d rather keep hidden.
This move comes after a string of embarrassing revelations uncovered only through FOI requests: senior bureaucrats charging taxpayers $1,200 a month for vehicle leases (when a comparable luxury SUV leases for hundreds less), a finance minister billing $6,600 for an SUV-limousine on a four-day Boston junket, and $164,000 blown on 1,000 cups of coffee for a Seattle PR stunt. Each scandal chips away at public trust and reminds us why open information matters — especially for organizations like True North that rely on accountable government to deliver real results for people in recovery and those facing addiction and homelessness.
Strong opposition voices, including B.C. Conservative critic Jody Toor, stepped up to receive the petition while the minister responsible was notably absent. At its core, this fight is about more than paperwork and timelines — it’s about whether taxpayers and frontline service providers have the right to see how their dollars are actually being spent. When governments start shielding themselves from scrutiny, the people who need help most are often the ones who lose. True North will continue following this story closely because real solutions to Canada’s biggest challenges demand real accountability.
