UBCIC Concerned Freedom of Information Act Changes Could Disproportionately Affect Indigenous Peoples

The Union of BC Indian Chiefs is concerned that planned changes to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act could disproportionately affect Indigenous peoples.

Those plans would introduce a fee for freedom of information requests, which the Union says will dissuade Indigenous residents, who are more affected by poverty, from filing requests.

Minister of Citizen Services Lisa Beare has said the fee would be somewhere between the 5 dollars to 50 dollars that are seen in other jurisdictions.

While this led many to believe the fee would be 25 dollars, one of the highest in Canada, Premier John Horgan says no fee has been decided yet.