Letter to DM: Response to expressed Access To Information concerns

30 March 2021

 

Jody Thomas
Deputy Minister
Department of National Defence
National Defence Headquarters
101 Colonel By Drive, 13NT
Ottawa, ON K1A 0K2

 

Dear Ms. Thomas,

This is in response to the concerns you raised about the possible release of personal information in documents recently released pursuant to the Access to Information Act. These documents were referenced in media reports concerning the Parliamentary hearings into sexual misconduct in the military.

As you know, my office is responsible for the administration of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act related to records under our control, in order to protect the integrity and confidentiality of Ombudsman files. Although we get the delegations to do this directly from the Minister of National Defence, we strive for transparency in all our operations and are happy to discuss concerns about our practices with anyone. 

In particular, we take any concerns about the possible release of personal information that should have been protected seriously. I have asked that the releases be reviewed for a potential privacy breach. This review has concluded, and I would like to assure you that the information in the documents was handled properly, in accordance with the law. 

If there is any specific information that concerns you, please let us know what it is and we can provide you with more detailed explanation about why it was released. 

Sincerely,

 

Gregory A. Lick
Ombudsman