Government instructs ministers not to delete emails

Christy Clark, premier of Canada's British Columbia, has instructed all her cabinet ministers and political staff to save their emails in the wake of a report strongly critical of the government's transparency practices.

The province's Information and Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham recently slammed the government for major information failures at the premier's office and two ministries, the Calgary Herald reported.

These include failures to keep adequate email records and the wilful destruction of records in response to freedom of information requests.

Denham's report makes 11 recommendations for overhauling information management practices to comply with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Under Clark's directive, no government officials will be allowed to delete emails they have sent until the government receives advice about how to implement the 11 recommendations.

The investigation was triggered by news from a whistleblower that a Transportation Ministry official deleted emails that would have been relevant to an investigation into murdered and missing women.

The situation mirrors the controversy in Australia over Malcolm Turnbull's use of a private email server to communicate with colleagues.

Although the government has insisted that this is merely for convenience, critics have raised concerns including whether this practice is designed to keep the information outside the range of freedom of information requests.

Pictured: BC Parliament, courtesy of 3dpete under CC