After over 20 years as information and privacy commissioner (IPC) of NWT, Elaine Keenan Bengts will be retiring at the end of her term in October.
Photo courtesy of the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.
As NWTs first-ever IPC, Keenan Bengts started the job in 1997 on a part-time basis as part of her law practice. It was 15 years before she took on the role full time.
SA国际影视传媒淚t was a steep learning curve, but I had the benefit of it being a slow but steep learning curve,SA国际影视传媒� she says. SA国际影视传媒淚 think in the first two years I might have opened 20 files total. Last fiscal year, we opened at least 300 files.SA国际影视传媒�
In the two decades that Keenan Bengts has held the position, she has seen dramatic changes. She says that issues like ransomware attacks and stolen laptops are SA国际影视传媒渉uge time consuming issues now that really werenSA国际影视传媒檛 a reality back in the day."
As IPC, Keenan Bengts works to provide independent oversight on access of information, and managing reports over inappropriate use, collection, and disclosure of personal information.
While the Legislative Assembly has only just begun their hiring process, Keenan Bengts says that for the incoming IPC, new legislation will present SA国际影视传媒渁 whole new world."
The new legislation was passed last June, 2019, and is expected to come into effect in the fall, although it may now be delayed due to Covid. It will dictate that the information and privacy commissionerSA国际影视传媒檚 office make orders against public bodies, rather than the recommendations that are currently made.
SA国际影视传媒淪o rather than saying SA国际影视传媒業 think you should disclose A,B, and CSA国际影视传媒� this office will be saying SA国际影视传媒業 order you to disclose A,B and CSA国际影视传媒� and those will be binding orders, registrable with the Supreme Court,SA国际影视传媒� Keenan Bengts explains. SA国际影视传媒淭hat carries with it a lot more responsibility.SA国际影视传媒�
The change is in concurrence with several jurisdictions across the country. Some continue to have an ombuds role, as Keenan Bengts has had, while others already have order making power. She says it also means that expertise will be even more important as public bodies are going to have to prove their cases. That expertise will be imperative within the GNWT, for access to information and privacy coordinators, and for the new IPC themself.
SA国际影视传媒淵ou have to be an expert in privacy coming through the door, you have to be an expert in access to information coming through the door, they wonSA国际影视传媒檛 have the luxury of learning the law over time, which was essentially what I was able to do.SA国际影视传媒�
Though she admits she initially SA国际影视传媒渉ad no idea what the position wasSA国际影视传媒� when first answering the ad to be NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 first privacy commissioner, Keenan Bengts says that this SA国际影视传媒渉as been the job of [her] lifetime.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 an important job and it has such an important place in democracy and the way government runs,SA国际影视传媒� she says. SA国际影视传媒淚 was lucky to be able to get my foot in the door right at the beginning and be able to take it this far, and hopefully, ISA国际影视传媒檒l have left it in a state that whoever takes over will be able to take off running.SA国际影视传媒�
For Keenan Bengts, stepping down from her post as IPC will mean retirement. She plans on spending the extra time with her grandkids, doing more cross fit exercise, and picking up extra volunteer hours.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 the best job ISA国际影视传媒檝e ever had,SA国际影视传媒� she says. SA国际影视传媒淚t's an interesting subject matter, itSA国际影视传媒檚 ever changing, thereSA国际影视传媒檚 new stuff to learn all the time, but at some point itSA国际影视传媒檚 time for someone else to take the helm and put their own stamp on it.SA国际影视传媒�
