FOIPP amendments 'long overdue,' UPEI Student Union president says
The UPEI Student Union says it's pleased to see amendments to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, but added that it's been a long time coming.
The act — known at the FOIPP Act — was recently amended to bring some municipalities and post-secondary institutions under its regulations.
The new amendments mean people will be able to ask questions and make requests for information from institutions like UPEI, which is something the student union has actively advocated for since 2014.
"It's a great piece of legislation that I think is long overdue," said William McGuigan, president of the student union.
"UPEI currently receives over, approximately, half its revenue from the government, which is taxpayers' money. And I think it's also important to note that Prince Edward Island is actually the only province in Canada where FOIPP didn't apply to post-secondary institutions."
While the changes are a "good start," McGuigan said the student union would like the legislation to be retroactive as well.
The FOIPP amendments will come into effect in April 2019 and only documents created after that would be subject to freedom of information requests.
The amendments also apply to Holland College and College de L'Île and will include the communities of Charlottetown, Summerside, Stratford and Cornwall.
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