Canada’s information commissioner, Caroline Maynard, says a federal proposal to narrow the scope of the Access to Information Act would move in the wrong direction. In a newly published submission to the Treasury Board Secretariat, Maynard argues the changes could reduce public access to government-held records by excluding “entire swaths” of documents from disclosure. Global News and CityNews Toronto both report that Maynard characterizes the proposal as inconsistent with the act’s purpose of enabling scrutiny of government activities. The commissioner’s submission forms part of the review process being conducted by the Treasury Board Secretariat. The reports describe Maynard’s concerns in general terms, focusing on potential impacts to the availability of records rather than citing specific exemptions. Both outlets note that Maynard’s assessment is based on the proposed narrowing of the act’s scope and its likely effect on how widely the federal government’s records are subject to access requests and oversight. The Treasury Board Secretariat is reviewing the proposal as part of the broader examination of the act’s operation.