OTTAWA—The access to information system of the Government of [CENSORED] has become [CENSORED], leading some experts to worry about [CENSORED].

The Star has obtained documents related to the Conservatives’ controversial Internet surveillance bill that have been heavily censored — even blocking out the “Canada” in “Government of Canada.”

The documents, obtained through federal access-to-information law, also censor harmless lines like “anyone can be a victim of cyberbullying,” and the opinion that cyberbullying is “particularly harmful to both the welfare and development of child victims.”

Access to information officers at the Department of Public Safety determined that the lines were advice or recommendations to departments or ministers, and so they can’t be released publicly.

So how did the Star decode the censored document? A version is publicly available on Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s website.

Pressed for an answer Thursday, a Public Safety spokesperson said the department may have erred in taking a black marker to large swaths of the document. The department launched a review of the censorship after the Star asked for an interview.

“Public Safety Canada is committed to upholding the letter and the spirit of the Access to Information Act,” Zarah Malik wrote in an email.

“Some words in the release package were exempted in error by officials.”

In keeping with access to information procedure, the identity of the public servant who censored the document is not known.

Experts say the decision to withhold the information speaks to a larger issue with Canada’s much-criticized access regime.

“I’m not sure what would explain this particular outcome,” said Teresa Scassa, the Canada Research Chair in Information Law at the University of Ottawa.

“I suspect that it is part of a broader culture of secrecy where the default is to deny or obscure as oppose to disclose.”

Under the Access to Information Act, any Canadian can write a cheque for $5 to receive copies of government records. Businesses, lawyers, journalists and private citizens routinely make requests for things like ministerial briefing notes, internal government reports, and messages exchanged between bureaucrats and political staff.

The system has been in place since the 1980s, and critics — including Canada’s information commissioner — have argued it badly needs updating.

In her annual report to Parliament earlier this month, Information Commissioner Suzanne Legault said her office has seen a sharp increase in complaints over the government’s handling of access requests.

According to Legault, the number of requests was up 28 per cent in 2012-13 to 55,145, most of them coming from private citizens.

The governing Conservatives often tout the number of requests and pages released as proof that the system is working, but Legault’s report said it’s more indicative of the need for more proactive disclosure on Ottawa’s part.

Legault’s report found that complaints about the government’s handling of the requests increased 30 per cent in 2012-13, leading the outgoing commissioner to warn that the system remains “fragile.”

“It is of concern to me when government institutions struggle to provide timely access, take an overly broad approach to exempting information or fail in their duty to assist requesters, as is required,” the report said.

The Star requested all records in Public Safety’s possession concerning Bill C-13, the so-called cyberbullying bill, over the course of several months before Justice Minister Peter MacKay and Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney announced the legislation in November 2013.

Almost seven months later, Public Safety released 644 heavily censored pages. Some documents, including a speech for Blaney that he never delivered, were simply withheld completely.

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The remainder of the documents were mostly emails between communications staff at Justice and Public Safety, chattering about deadlines for talking points and revising media lines.

The Star has lodged a formal complaint with Legault’s office about Public Safety’s handling of the request. Natalie Hall, a spokeswoman for the information commissioner, said they could not comment on an ongoing investigation.

Both the NDP’s Pat Martin and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau have introduced private member’s bills that would overhaul the access regime, meaning it’s likely that the issue will find its way into election platforms in 2015.

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