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VICTORIA — The NDP is trying to block the B.C. Liberals from obtaining information about government emails, claiming the civil service is being overloaded by opposition requests for records.

Government lawyers have asked B.C.’s independent information and privacy commissioner for the power to selectively ignore requests from the Liberals for public records related to 30 private email addresses of provincial officials, MLAs and cabinet ministers.

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The Liberals want to know if any politicians or staff used personal Gmail accounts to conduct government business, which would violate the law.

The minister responsible for FOI, Jinny Sims, had to apologize in May for using personal email to do government work. Premier John Horgan also apologized and launched a review after seven of his staff were caught improperly mass-deleting their emails during several months.

“It’s incumbent on the Opposition to demand answers on behalf of the public,” said Liberal MLA Jas Johal. “Stifling the opposition’s FOI request essentially says minister Sims and the NDP government aren’t answerable to the public.”