Investigation Report: FIPPA Duty to Assist – Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation
Summary
An individual complained to our office about Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation’s handling of their access request for records related to the Canada-Manitoba Housing Benefit.
The complainant told our office they initiated several discussions with the public body about the relevance and completeness of provided records. While the complainant’s efforts eventually led to them receiving the records, and explanations about the records they asked for, they continued with a complaint to our office regarding the number of back-and-forth communications it took to get the information.
Our review determined the public body did not initially fulfill its duty to assist and the complaint was partly supported.
Our office is of the view that the onus is on the public body to fulfil its duty to assist and provide timely and accurate information. In this instance, the complainant had a high level of understanding of FIPPA. Other individuals may not have been able to navigate the request process in the same way. Fulfilling the duty to assist completely gives individuals equitable access to their right to information held by public bodies, helps build public trust and confidence, and ensures the public body is complying with legislation.
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MO-11486