Disclosure duties
Proactive publication in Canada
Short answer
- Mandate letters
- Within 30 days of issue, section 73 1
- Minister's transition briefing
- Within 120 days of appointment, section 74 1
- Contracts
- Over $10,000, quarterly, sections 77 and 86 1
- Grants and contributions
- Over $25,000, quarterly, section 87 1
- Minister's office expense report
- Within 120 days after each fiscal year, section 78 1
How Part 2 differs from a request
Part 1 of the Act gives a right of access to records on request, with a written notice due within 30 days after the request is received 1. Part 2 works the other way. It names the official who must publish, what must be published and by when, with no request needed 1.
The two parts connect. An institution cannot decline to act on a request for the sole reason that the information has been published under Part 2 1. Section 26 lets an institution refuse a record it believes on reasonable grounds will be published within 90 days, but that rule covers publication other than under Part 2 1.
Ministers and the Prime Minister
| Record | Deadline | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Mandate letter or revised mandate letter | Within 30 days after issue 1 | 73 1 |
| Briefing package for a new minister | Within 120 days after appointment 1 | 74(a) 1 |
| Title and reference number of each memorandum received | Within 30 days after the end of the month 1 | 74(b) 1 |
| Question period notes in use on the last sitting day of June and December | Within 30 days after that day, or by 31 July or 31 January if the House is not sitting 1 | 74(c) 1 |
| Briefing package for a committee appearance | Within 120 days after the appearance 1 | 74(d) 1 |
| Travel and hospitality expenses of the minister and staff | Within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement 1 | 75 and 76 1 |
| Contracts over $10,000 for the minister's office | 30 days after each of the first three quarters, 60 days after the fourth 1 | 77 1 |
| Annual report of office expenses | Within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year 1 | 78 1 |
Government institutions and entities
- Travel and hospitality expenses of senior officers and employees, within 30 days after the end of the month of reimbursement 1.
- Reclassification of occupied positions in departments and the core public administration, within 30 days after the end of the quarter 1.
- Contracts over $10,000, within 30 days after each of the first three quarters and 60 days after the fourth, with amended values where a contract rises above the threshold or changes by more than $10,000 1.
- Grants and contributions over $25,000 authorised by Parliament, within 30 days after the end of the quarter, including amendments that raise a smaller award above $25,000 1.
- Briefing packages for a new deputy head within 120 days of appointment, titles and reference numbers of memoranda within 30 days after the end of the month, and committee briefing packages within 120 days 1.
Parliament
Part 2 reaches Parliament. The Speaker of the Senate must publish the travel and hospitality expenses reimbursed to each Senator, and contracts a Senator enters into for Senate business, within 90 days after the end of the quarter 1. The Speaker of the House of Commons has the same duty for members of the House 1. Heads of parliamentary entities must publish employees' travel and hospitality expenses within 60 days after the end of the quarter 1.
Published details include the name, purpose, dates, places, the vendor for hospitality, the number of attendees and the total amount 1.
Requests still matter
Proactive publication sits beside a large request system. Canadian institutions, excluding Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, received 33,928 access requests in 2024-2025 2. They closed 64.5% of requests within legislated timelines, and 74.9% of requests led to full or partial disclosure 2.
How Canada compares
| Law | Model | Example of a fixed deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Canada, Access to Information Act Part 2 | Named records published by named officials 1 | Mandate letters within 30 days 1 |
| United Kingdom, FOIA section 19 | Publication scheme approved by the regulator 3 | Review from time to time 3 |
| India, RTI Act section 4(1)(b) | 17 listed categories 4 | Updated every year 4 |
| United States, 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(2) | Electronic availability of opinions, policies, manuals and frequently requested records 5 | Annual report by 1 February 5 |
Common questions
When are Canadian ministers' mandate letters published?
The Prime Minister must publish each mandate letter or revised letter in electronic form within 30 days after it is issued 1.
Do Canadian departments publish their contracts?
Yes. Contracts over $10,000 must be published within 30 days after each of the first three quarters and 60 days after the fourth 1.
Are ministers' briefing notes published in Canada?
The titles and reference numbers of memoranda are published monthly, and full transition and committee briefing packages within 120 days 1.
Can a department refuse a request on the ground that the record is published under Part 2?
No. It cannot decline to act on a request for that reason alone 1.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@publicrecordgaps.com.
Sources
- Justice Laws Website, Government of Canada: Access to Information Act (full text)
- Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat: Access to Information and Privacy Statistical Report for 2024-2025 Fiscal Year (modified 23 March 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: Freedom of Information Act 2000, section 19
- Ministry of Heavy Industries, India: The Right to Information Act, 2005
- Legal Information Institute: 5 U.S. Code § 552 - Public information
Related
- Proactive disclosure duties compared
What public bodies must publish without a request under UK FOI section 19, India RTI section 4, US FOIA reading room rules and EU Regulation 1049/2001.
- Disposal of government records in Canada
How Canada controls destruction and transfer of federal records under the Library and Archives of Canada Act, and the access law offence.
- How to request a missing public record
The official steps to ask for a record that is not published: describe it precisely, use the right law, note the deadline and use review and appeal routes.
- FOI reviews and appeals compared
Time limits for internal review, regulator complaints and court appeals after an FOI refusal in Scotland, Ireland, Canada, India and others.