Nova Scotia drops FOI request fee

The Nova Scotia government has cut the fee for applications under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to $5 from $25, the Halifax Chronicle-Herald reports.

The rate change is effective immediately.

Mary Agnes Welch, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists said in a press release:

“We’ve called for just such a reduction for years. This will help all citizens ask vital questions to keep Nova Scotia’s government more accountable.”

According to the Chronicle-Herald article, the Right to Know Coalition of Nova Scotia, which lobbied to reduce the fee, also wants the government to drop the $15 per half-hour processing fee to $5. The group is also looking to decrease wait times for the information requested.