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OTTAWA — Ahead of legislative aultixes promised for later this year or early next, the government announced immediate changes Thursday to the way Canadians access government information.

Effective immediately, government institutions must waive all fees beyond the initial $5 required to open an access to information request.

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Access to information officers must help reformulate requests so people get “more accurate, complete and timely access,” in formats that are more user-friendly — spreadsheets rather than photocopies of spreadsheets, for example.

Treasury Board President Scott Brison announced the new measures, which come in the form of a policy directive, at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Thursday morning.

“This is a significant first step as we move towards open-by-default government,” Brison said, though the move did not go without scrutiny from the opposition.