Conservative lines don’t add up – privacy commish sees no problem in data sharing

NDP REALITY CHECK: Conservative lines don’t add up – privacy commish sees no problem in data sharing

 

The Conservative line on handing over firearms data to the provinces is that it violates privacy rights.

“We are bound to protect the privacy rights of Canadians and that includes the rights of those who are law-abiding gun owners”
Peter Van Loan, Hansard, October 28, 2011

“In order to protect the privacy of law-abiding long gun owners, records held by the Canadian firearms program on currently registered long guns will be destroyed.”
Vic Toews, Hansard, October 26 2011

The Conservatives also threatened to make the provinces pay for the data. On November 1, 2011, Conservative MP Rob Clarke said “If Quebec wants the registry, they have to pay for it...”
But once again, out-of-touch Conservative talking points won’t hold up to scrutiny.
Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart doesn’t see a violation. In fact, she says data can be shared between the government and provinces in order to assist in provincial laws.
No cost, no trouble. All it takes is an agreement between the government and the provinces.
It’s only Conservatives standing in the way.
In a letter to NDP MP Dennis Bevington (Western Arctic), Stoddart writes:

“Generally, s. 8(2)(f) of the Act permits the disclosure of personal information ‘under an agreement or arrangement between the Government of Canada or an institution thereof and the government of a province…for the purpose of administering or enforcing any law or carrying out a lawful investigation.’ There for, in appropriate circumstances, an information sharing agreement or arrangement put in place for the purpose of administering or enforcing any law (including provincial law) could assist to ensure any transfer of personal information was in conformity with the Privacy Act.”