On March 21, 2001, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) received a letter from the Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party alleging a disclosure by electronic mail of a report entitled 2000 Traumatic Fatalities Reported in Occupational Disease & Survivor Benefits Program (the Report), and asking the IPC to investigate. Enclosed with the letter was a copy of an e-mail and the Report, which he had received from one of the e-mail recipients.
That same day, the Commissioner received a telephone call from the Minister of Labour (the Ministry) in respect of the same incident, assuring us of their intention to cooperate fully with our investigation.
The IPC initiated an investigation under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the Act) against the Ministry (PC-010013-1).
On March 27, 2001, the IPC met with the Ministry's Freedom of Information and Privacy Co-ordinator, and in the course of the discussions determined that the Report in question was a Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) report. While the Minister of Labour has overall responsibility for WSIB, WSIB is a separate institution under the Act.
Accordingly, on March 29, 2001 the IPC initiated an investigation involving WSIB (PC-010014-1), and met with some of WSIB's senior staff.
Both complaints are addressed in this report because the disclosure of the WSIB report involved both Ministry and WSIB staff. Further, there is considerable overlap in the events, relationships and actions taken.