Survey respondents identify shortcomings in review of Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
Publish Date: 2026-06-04 16:35:00
Source Domain: yellowknifer.com
Survey respondents identify shortcomings in review of Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
Published 1:30 pm Thursday, June 4, 2026
The GNWT says its public survey on its Access to Information and Protection of Privacy (ATIPP) Act will shape new program policies, but the total number of survey respondents is a little over 100, and an even smaller sub-section of them have actually used the service.
The ATIPP Act is, in part, intended to allow NWT citizens to access and correct their own personal information held by GNWT departments and other public bodies.
A review of the GNWT’s ATIPP was conducted between Sept. 8-29, 2025, through a public survey, questionnaires and online interviews.
According to the GNWT, 24 pre-interview questionaires were completed, 18 online interviews were conducted, and 64 residents of the NWT responded to the online survey.
Of those surveyed online, only 14 have ever made a request for information under the ATIPP Act since August 2021.
Answers to survey questions that were left blank or fell under the “don’t know” options were left out of the results.
When asked if they agreed that the ATIPP process contributes to government transparency and accountability, a plurality of respondents, eight in total, said they strongly disagreed. Two agreed, and three strongly agreed.
Ten of the 14 respondents who used ATIPP in the past said they had to contact government departments for assistance with their request.
Ten respondents felt their requests for information were not acknowledged in a timely way.
Nine respondents reported that the feedback to their information requests was unclear. Three reported that the responses they received were clear, and two responded to the question “neutrally.”
Of the 14 responses regarding overall satisfaction with the ATIPP process, 12 were either strongly…
