Access to Information: Suggestions to improve access to information on Canadian charities
Charity Intelligence submits its suggestions on how to improve proactive publication in the ongoing review of Canada's Access to Information.
"The charitable sector is supported by all Canadian taxpayers. For this reason, the CRA is committed to enhance the transparency and accountability of charities by providing relevant information about charities to the public at large."
Sylvie Branch
CRA spokesperson
Surely a charity's audited financial statements are relevant information?
We ask the President of the Treasury Board, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, to use his powers to quickly correct the deficiencies in Canada's transparency. Bill C-58 requires federal government agencies to proactively publish information that is in the public interest and, clearly, Canadian charities are in the public interest. Charities are public organizations and their financial reports are public records that fall under the mandate of Bill C-58.
The Charities Directorate's current practice falls short of Bill C-58 and the better procedures of its peers in the UK, Australian and the US. With today's digital technologies, this shortcoming is easy to fix.
Read Charity Intelligence's submission for better access to information.