The university’s request for a nine-week extension was rejected by the information and privacy commissioner of Ontario, which ordered the university to supply an explanation by Tuesday.
The ruling is the latest shot in a year-long battle over a freedom-of-information request it received from The Canadian Press.
The Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management was launched in October 2010 to much fanfare, with Reform party founder Preston Manning — and the Manning Centre for Building Democracy — front and centre.
The program, according to Manning and the university administration, was founded thanks to a $15-million donation from Calgary businessman Clayton Riddell. Its first students were enrolled last September.
But when asked to provide a copy of the donor agreement last summer, Carleton issued a blanket refusal, citing invasion of privacy, third-party information and the school’s economic interests regarding future fundraising.
Following mediation ordered by the information commissioner’s office, Carleton released a heavily redacted copy of the donor agreement in March.
The agreement says Carleton University will operate the program, “including securing the necessary provincial government approvals and funding commitments, and subject to the conditions set forth in this agreement.”
Those conditions are then blacked out, including sections under “Naming considerations” and “Administration.”
The university also released an appendix — essentially a brochure touting the program’s merits, complete with testimonials from conservatives such as Cliff Fryers, Thompson MacDonald and Chris McCluskey, and former New Democrat MP Bill Knight — that included several redacted pages and sections.
Under the page heading “An invitation to transform Canadian politics,” for instance, all but two short paragraphs are blacked out.
Carleton University’s pitch to donors for its fledgling political management program states it will “impact the political culture of this country.”
“By taking custody of the education of people who will go on to make decisions of political consequence, the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management will be of profound service to the nation,” says the released appendix.
Required courses include institutions and government, strategic communications and political management, with electives such as polling, political campaigning, media management and political marketing.
In a June 4 letter to the university’s lawyers, an adjudicator with the information and privacy commissioner of Ontario says “providing the party resisting disclosure nine weeks to respond to the Notice of Inquiry is not justifiable,” and set a due date of June 19, three weeks beyond the initial deadline.
A Carleton spokeswoman said Tuesday that university officials are finalizing what information the school considers should remain private and confidential regarding the donor agreement.
“We are finalizing our submissions, as ordered, by June 19, 2012, and will follow any other step required by the adjudication process. Once the adjudicator has completed the inquiry process, an order will be issued.
“As always, the University will fully comply with the decision rendered by the adjudicator in this matter,” said Johanne Bray, Carleton’s University Secretary and General Counsel, in a statement.
The case is not likely to be resolved until fall.
Source: ottawa citizen
Author: Matthew Pearson
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