Freedom of Information and Privacy in British Columbia

Vancouver, BC — A new Ipsos poll for the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association finds that 97% of British Columbians say it is important (81% very/17% somewhat) that provincial government officials are legally required to keep accurate and complete records of what they do on the job (duty to document).

• Women (85% ‘very important’ vs. 76% of men) and older residents (87% ‘very important’ among 55+ years vs. 80% of 35-54 years, 74% of 18-34 years) are more likely to say it is ‘very important’ that provincial government officials have a legal duty to document.

The poll also finds support for other reforms to BC’s information and privacy law. More than eight-in-ten (85%) British Columbians say government officials who interfere with access to information rights should face penalties. Similarly, 87% say they think it is important (53% very/33% somewhat) that education subsidiaries such as school boards, colleges and universities be covered by Freedom of Information laws.

• Older residents are more likely to say it is ‘very important’ that education subsidiaries be covered by Freedom of Information laws (64% ‘very important’ among 55+ years vs. 47% of those under the age of 55).

Overall, 84% of British Columbians say they think it is important (47% very/38% somewhat) that the provincial government bring in reforms to the information and privacy law before the next BC election.

• Older residents are more likely to say it is important (combined very/somewhat responses) for the provincial government to bring in reforms to the information and privacy law before the next BC election (89% of 55+ years vs. 83% of 35-54 years, 79% of 18-34 years). The same is also true when looking at the intensity of importance (59% ‘very important’ among 55+ years vs. 44% of 35-54 years, 34% of 18-34 years).

About the Study

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between January 15 and 17, 2018, on behalf of the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association. For this survey, a sample of 803 British Columbians aged 18+ from Ipsos’ online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±3.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all British Columbian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Catherine Knaus
Director, Canada
Ipsos Public Affairs
+1 778 373-5131
[email protected]

About Ipsos Public Affairs

Ipsos Public Affairs is a non-partisan, objective, survey-based research practice made up of seasoned professionals. We conduct strategic research initiatives for a diverse number of Canadian, American and international organizations, based not only on public opinion research, but elite stakeholder, corporate, and media opinion research.

Ipsos has media partnerships with the most prestigious news organizations around the world. In Canada, Ipsos Public Affairs is the polling partner for Global News. Internationally, Ipsos Public Affairs is the media polling supplier to Reuters News, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. Ipsos Public Affairs is a member of the Ipsos Group, a leading global survey-based market research company. We provide boutique-style customer service and work closely with our clients, while also undertaking global research.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks fourth in the global research industry.

With offices in 88 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across five research specializations: brand, advertising and media; customer loyalty; marketing; public affairs research; and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of €1,782.7 million in 2016.