Acting information and privacy commissioner Paul Fraser has asked health minister Kevin Falcon to withdraw proposed amendments to health legislation until privacy concerns are fully considered.
“I was taken by surprise to discover these very significant amendments in a miscellaneous bill,” said Fraser in an April 22 letter. Bill 11, the 2010: Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act (No. 2), 2010, introduced this week, includes changes to the Ministry of Health Act, Public Health Act and the Health Authorities Act dealing with how personal information is managed.
“The amendments will allow for extensive sharing of personal information across numerous public bodies,” wrote Fraser.
He referred to his recent appearance in front of the committee reviewing the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, where he said expediency is consistently trumping privacy. “These proposed amendments continue that unfortunate trend and raise mounting concerns about the privacy of British Columbians.”
Fraser recommended the amendments be immediately removed from the bill before the legislature “so that our offices can continue to discuss the proposals and so that the serious privacy concerns raised by the proposed data sharing are properly and completely canvassed before any further legislative proposals are introduced.”
Falcon was not immediately available for an interview.
The health services ministry and the health authorities need to be seen as an integrated system, a ministry spokesperson said in an e-mail. "These amendments are about administrative and program data that we require to effectively manage the healthcare system in the best interests of patients. We are not talking about access to a person’s hospital or care facility chart."
The amendments will be debated in the legislature, the statement said.
Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee’s Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.
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G West
1 year ago
Dear Mr Fraser
What would you expect from these people?
Falcon has totally lost the plot.
Hughes
1 year ago
If said ammendments are such
If said ammendments are such a good idea Falcon, why conceal them a miscellaneous bill?
No, don't bother answering the question, I'm tired of the stench emanating from all the bullshit piling up around you and your cronies.
It's time for a good dunging out over in Victoria!
This government's penchant for lies and deceipt has done serious damage to the public's perception of politicians in general and the BC Liberal party specifically.
The notion that the Campbell Liberals are -- well -- liberals at all is a the ultimate deception.
Polakite
1 year ago
Mark this date on your calendar...
13 May 2010 - watch Voice of BC...
"Darrell Evans from BC Freedom of Information and Sean Holman of Public Eye On Line discuss the issues of privacy and Freedom of Information"
Hey, look, I may be a Polakite/Polak4Premier Booster*... but open gov't is very important to me. It's a moral mission to me.
I'm sure Kevin Falcon needs to stop wearing Olympic gold medals he did NOT earn and stop his burnouts in the leg parking lot and start listening to Acting Information and Privacy Commissioner Paul Fraser.
crh
1 year ago
to funny
'The amendments will be debated in the legislature, the statement said.'
OMG debated? Has anyone watched these so-called debates? The Liberals never answer a question. They just obfuscate, re-direct and live in the past. Why do I get the feeling that Kevin Falcon has no respect for the citizens of BC?