Shortly after, Irving threatened to sue Postmedia if it published any article indicating that there were significant problems with ship welds

A journalist’s question about a potential problem with the Royal Canadian Navy’s new Arctic patrol ships prompted federal bureaucrats to generate more than 200 pages of documents as they warned Irving Shipbuilding about the news outlet’s interest in the multibillion dollar program.

But Public Services and Procurement Canada has ignored its requirement under the Access to Information Act to release those records within the stipulated 30 days, and is now in violation of the law.

Distroscale

The department told Postmedia it doesn’t know when it will release the documents or how much of their contents will be censored.

The access law allows any individual to file a request for federal records in exchange for a $5 fee. The Liberal government campaigned on making government open and transparent.

This request, which the department received in early April, was sent after Procurement Canada acknowledged it had alerted Irving that a Postmedia journalist had asked the department questions about potential issues with welds on the new Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships being built by the firm. Procurement Canada bureaucrats also provided the journalist’s private information to Irving officials. They never did answer the questions.

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Instead, shortly after, Irving threatened to sue Postmedia if it published any article indicating that there were significant problems with the welds.

Last week, the office of Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains alerted Irving that Globe and Mail journalists had asked that department whether an investment in an Alberta french fry plant counted toward the industrial benefits requirements established under the Arctic ship program. (Under the government’s industrial and technological benefits policy, the prime contractors on military procurement projects are required to do work in Canada equal to 100 per cent of the value of the contract they receive.) As a result the newspaper received a letter from an Irving lawyer threatening legal action if the article contained any allegations of improper conduct.

Asked why the Liberal government is not releasing the material Postmedia requested under the access law, Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough’s office and the department suggested Monday the news outlet should contact Procurement Canada’s access to information branch — the same branch that had already informed Postmedia it didn’t know when the documents would be released.

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Postmedia also asked Qualtrough’s office how many other times since Oct. 30 2015 had the department or minister’s office shared the private information or identity of journalists and their questions with the Irvings.

The department responded with a statement that it takes “privacy rights and obligations very seriously,” but did not answer the question.

Qualtrough has defended the practice of federal officials and how they cooperate with companies regarding journalists who ask the government questions about defence contracts. But she added that she wished Irving hadn’t threatened lawsuits against newspapers who were asking such questions.

Irving spokesman Sean Lewis said that while Irving respects the work of journalists, in the case of the Globe and Postmedia the company threatened legal action because reporters “had highly inaccurate information that would cause our company, and the reputation of our hardworking employees, considerable reputational damage.” in fact, in the case of Postmedia, the Department of National Defence later confirmed that there had been minor problems with welds on the Arctic ships. In the case of the Globe, Irving confirmed it had received the benefit credit for the french fry plant.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada did not answer a question about whether it violated privacy laws in offering Irving details of the Globe’s request. Like Procurement Canada, the department would not provide any numbers on how many times it has shared information about journalists and their questions with the Irvings.