OTTAWA – The federal information watchdog has made a surprise decision to retire after serving less than half the usual seven-year term.

But Robert Marleau, who has openly chided the government for being too secretive, denied yesterday he was quitting as ombudsman for Canada's freedom-of-information law out of frustration.

He also dismissed any suggestion he was pushed out, saying he's simply ready to leave to spend more time with family.

Marleau, 61, who took office in January 2007, worked for the House of Commons for 31 years.

As commissioner, he quickly set about hiring new senior staff, revamping the way complaints are investigated and seeking more money to do the job.

He said in an interview that the position would now involve more lobbying to boost access to information. He decided that was a task best left to his successor.

The Access to Information Act allows people who pay $5 to request an array of federal files. The commissioner serves as an arbiter for users by probing complaints.

Last February, Marleau released a highly critical set of report cards on the performance of federal departments and agencies and blamed failure of leadership "at the highest levels" for denying Canadians information about government.