They have email for computers now!

Here's a delicious example of what modern technology allows you to do with government records that aren't unnecessarily encumbered by the technophobic restrictions of the Most Open And Accountable Government Anywhere Ever.

As Cummings Q.C. writes, at page 18:

Electronic records are growing rapidly in volume and will likely exceed paper records inthe near future. Electronic records present new issues for government in terms of access requests. Many officials do not know how to search these records properly.

Indeed! Indeedy!

He continues:

Many emails are included in government records when they are in fact transitory records and should be deleted by employees. More training is necessary in this area so that access requests are answered quickly and completely.

There you have it, Open And Accountable Government: contrary to the unbelievably plain intent of s.10 of the Access to Information Act, you shouldn't have access to government records that happen to be emails. Indeed, government employees should take pains to delete the darn things.

The Review Commissioner has spoken. Nyaah.

The only thing left to see, is whether his unbelievable set of anti-access recommendations get swiftly enacted by a legislature that hardly ever sits, yet has been too busy to pass the whistleblower protection bill promised four years ago.