Nova Scotia, the first Canadian jurisdiction to implement access to information legislation, will celebrate Right to Know Week, today, Sept. 28 to Saturday, Oct. 3.

Premier Stephen McNeil has officially proclaimed Right to Know Week and Nova Scotia Information and Privacy Commissioner Catherine Tully, will moderate a panel discussion at Halifax City Hall later today.

Over the past year, responses to information requests became the responsibility of the Department of Internal Services. Centralizing access to information work will mean more timely, more consistent responses to applicants.

In 2014, provincial government offices received 1,812 Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIPOP) applications and completed 78 per cent of the responses within 30 days, as stipulated under the act. Only seven per cent of the applications took longer than 60 days to complete.

Work has begun to identify information datasets that can be made freely available through a government open data portal. A request for proposals was issued in June to create and manage the portal.

The original Freedom of Information Act came into effect in 1978.

Right to Know Day originated in Bulgaria in 2002. This is the 10th year Canada has recognized the event.

Source: Release