加拿大联邦资讯专员Suzanne Legault哭穷，担心办公室预算用尽，濒临破产，无力捍卫加拿大人的知情权。
上一个财政年度结束，资讯专员办公室剩下3.7万元，相当于全部预算的0.2%。
勒戈身为资讯专员，她的责任是保护《资料索取法》（Access to Information Act）的用家， 人们投诉资料发放慢，收费和资料索取有困难等等，她的办公室都会处理。
在《资料索取法》下，人们缴纳5元可向联邦机构索取各类纪录，从往来文件，简报笔记，到审计报告，餐饮收据都有。
政府部门需依法在30天内回应，或合理解释为何需要更多时间。
勒戈最近在国会提出年度业绩报告，说她在2013-14年度取得成绩，在3年间完成最多投诉案件，改善生产力，提出多宗法律诉讼。
但是，新的投诉个案增加30%，早前2012-13年度已有9%增幅。
勒戈的报告说：“工作量加重，政府刚好施行紧缩财政措施，大大打击我的预算。
“未来投诉量没有缩减象，财政没有弹性，愈来愈难达到需求，及时回应人们的投诉。”那就是说，有人投诉拿不到资料，从收到投诉，到委派调查员，就要等6个月。
资讯专员指出，她的预算案明年有加薪开支，她担心“我们已经去到尽”。她说：“没有额外拨款，我无法履行职责，确保加拿大人知情权受尊重。为此，我希望库务委员会支持，发放必要的资金。”
勒戈要求政府增拨经费，库务委员会主席甘礼民（Tony Clement）的发言人Stephanie Rea没置评。
勒戈打算在数周内提交报告，建议改革资料索取法，它在1983年实施，法例迄今修订不多。
但甘礼民说，现行资料索取法没必要修订。
Suzanne Legault, Federal Information Watchdog, Says Office Almost Broke
CP | By Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/11/09/information-watchdog-office-almo...
OTTAWA - The federal information watchdog is almost broke, weathering a cash crunch Suzanne Legault says threatens her ability to protect the rights of Canadians.
Legault's office had just $37,000 left at the end of the last fiscal year — or 0.2 per cent of her overall budget.
The information commissioner is an ombudsman for users of the Access to Information Act, handling complaints about delays, fees, and difficulties in obtaining records from federal agencies.
The access law allows people who pay $5 to request a variety of records from federal agencies, from correspondence and briefing notes to audits and hospitality receipts.
Departments are supposed to respond within 30 days or provide good reasons why more time is needed.
In her annual performance report, tabled recently in Parliament, Legault said she enjoyed successes in 2013-14, closing the most complaint files in three years, improving productivity and pursuing numerous legal cases.
However, the number of new complaints rose by 30 per cent. It followed a nine-per-cent increase in 2012-13.
"This growth in workload occurs in the context of significant financial restraint measures that have had a large impact on my budget," Legault says in the report.
"With the incoming complaints volume showing no sign of abating, and with no financial flexibility, it is increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to keep ahead of demand and respond to complainants in as timely a manner as possible."
It means a gap of about six months between the time a complaint about lack of access to records is received and the time it is assigned to an investigator.
The commissioner's budget must absorb salary increases next year, leaving her concerned "we have been stretched to the limit."
"It is my responsibility to alert the government and Parliament to the risks that the organization is facing," Legault adds in the report.
"Without additional funding, I will no longer be able to carry out my mandate responsibly and ensure full respect of Canadians' rights of access to information. As such, I intend to seek the support of the Treasury Board to obtain the necessary financing."
Natalie Hall, a spokeswoman for Legault, said discussions with various officials "are ongoing."
Stephanie Rea, a spokeswoman for Treasury Board President Tony Clement, had no comment on the status of Legault's request.
The commissioner and the minister don't always see eye-to-eye on Access to Information issues.
Legault plans to release a report in coming weeks recommending measures to modernize the access law, which has changed little since taking effect on Canada Day 1983.
Clement has rejected calls from Legault, pro-democracy groups and opposition MPs to update the act, saying it is a good piece of legislation.
In the Conservatives' latest open government plan, Clement promises more automatic release of data on contracting, spending and scientific research.
Proactive disclosure should "provide a release valve" for the access system, resulting in fewer formal requests, he says.