Canadian privacy & access decisions

The complainant alleged that the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) improperly withheld information related to a grant made to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) under paragraphs 20(1)(b) and 20(1)(d) of the Access to Information Act. The withheld information included details about the OECD's operating expenses, ACOA's contribution, and a statement regarding the OECD. The Office of the Information Commissioner (OIC) found that neither ACOA nor the OECD provided sufficient evidence to support the application of either exemption. Specifically, the OIC determined that the information did not meet the confidentiality requirements of paragraph 20(1)(b) and that there was no reasonable expectation of harm to negotiations under paragraph 20(1)(d). Consequently, the Commissioner ordered ACOA to disclose the records in their entirety, and ACOA agreed to implement the order.

• Whether the information constitutes confidential third-party financial, commercial, scientific or technical information under s.20(1)(b) ATIA
• Whether the information is financial, commercial, scientific or technical
• Whether the information is confidential by an objective standard
• Whether the third party supplied the information to a government institution
• Whether the third party has consistently treated the information as confidential
• Whether the information could reasonably be expected to interfere with contractual or other negotiations of a third party under s.20(1)(d) ATIA
• Whether a third party is or will be conducting contractual or other negotiations
• Whether disclosing the information could interfere with those negotiations
• Whether there is a reasonable expectation that harm could occur