CANADIAN GOVERNMENT ELECTRONIC INFORMATION POLICY

Issues surrounding government electronic information policy in Canada include preservation of data, information industry involvement in government data development and marketing, the role of Crown copyright, and public access to government information in electronic formats. This article examines the development and evolution of Canadian government information policy in response to these issues. In recent years, policy initiatives have addressed the management of government information in a restraint environment which increasingly encourages the commoditization of government resources. There is a need to ensure the recognition of a government information safety net, but Canadian policy is motivated as much by government restraint initiatives as by access enhancement.