VICTORIA (February 17, 2022) –
Is Canada’s most secretive government — John Horgan’s NDP — exempting its failing In BC program from Freedom of Information (FOI) scrutiny because they are considering selling the personal health data of B.C. cancer patients for investment purposes?
The Official Opposition has obtained documents that hint at what activities the new Crown Corporation might get up to, and they reveal the following: “A couple of our participants highlighted data assets as a unique opportunity. They told us that the BC government has access to incredible data sets, including in the forestry and mining sectors, as well as via the BC Cancer Society. If there was a permissible way to allow that data to be accessed and monetized, they believe this could be a huge draw to getting companies to come to BC and that this is a particular competitive advantage for the province.” “The Minister Responsible, Ravi Kahlon, must explain why he is considering selling personal health data from the BC Cancer Society for investment purposes — and tell British Columbians what other kinds of their data he might do the same with,” says Todd Stone, Opposition Critic for Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. “This is a $500 million high-risk taxpayer-funded venture capital scheme that the NDP has chosen to exempt from FOI, on top of passing harmful legislation that expands the data-linking powers of government and reduces oversight. British Columbians deserve to know what this government is doing with their data, and the NDP must come clean to them today.”
More than a year since this scheme was announced, In BC still hasn’t hired a Chief Investment Officer; hasn’t published its investment criteria, hasn’t published a business plan; and hasn’t pushed a single dollar out the door for economic recovery.
