PDF file: 451-0229_HC_confidentiality_agreements_of_PHAC_personnel_Sep_2025.pdf
OPQ ID: 451-0229
Session: 451
Question number: Q-0229
Sessional paper: Q-229
Title: HC, confidentiality agreements of PHAC personnel, Sep 2025
Short description: 
Topic: public health
Identified concern: 
Keywords: 
Agencies: PHAC, PSPC, TBS, DND
Date asked: 2025-06-18
Date tabled: 
Submitted by: Dean Allison (Niagara West)
Reply by: Minister of Health
Responded by: Maggie Chi
Pages: 4
Status: not processed
Alert: yellow
Questions asked: 14
Questions answered: 1
Percent responded: 7%
Referenced sources: (none extracted)
Referenced links: (none extracted)
Official link: https://www.google.com/search?q=Q-229+ourcommons.ca
PDF URL: https://ivim.ca/foi/opq/r/451-0229_HC_confidentiality_agreements_of_PHAC_personnel_Sep_2025.pdf
TXT URL: https://ivim.ca/foi/opq/r/451-0229.txt
Original filename: Q-229_HC, confidentiality agreements of PHAC personnel, Sep 2025.pdf
Local source path: C:\Users\Dmitry\Documents\CODES\OPQ-App\data-raw\OPQ\ALL OPQ TO DATE\2025\Q-229_HC, confidentiality agreements of PHAC personnel, Sep 2025.pdf
Machine extracted at: 2026-06-30 12:58:30

References / links:
(none extracted)

Machine notes:
(none)

Question text preview:
With regard to information arising from an access to information request from the Public Health Agency of Canada – A-2023000165, which stated that the Chief Public Health Officer Dr.
Theresa Tam and “quite a few” pandemic managers at the
Department of Health, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Department of Industry, the Department of Foreign Affairs,
Trade and Development and the Department of National Defence were required to sign a secret oath promising never to divulge information that “may result in embarrassment”: (a) which specific individual or individuals initiated the requirement for staff to sign a confidentiality agreement;
(b) which divisions of which departments did the individual or individuals in (a) work in;
(c) who was asked to sign this confidentiality agreement and what positions did they hold in their respective departments;
(d) which divisions of which departments did the individuals in (c) work in;
(e) what was the exact content of the confidentiality agreement;
(f) why did the government feel such a confidentiality agreement was necessary;
(g) did the government conceal or attempt to conceal any information from the public and media that could result in embarrassment;
(h) if the answer to (g) is affirmative, what was the specific information that the government concealed or attempted to conceal from the public and media that could result in embarrassment;
(i) what specific criteria do Department of Health officials use to determine whether it's more important to not embarrass the government versus the requirement to be open and transparent with Canadians;
(j) are the staff who signed this confidentiality agreement still under a legal obligation to meet the demands as outlined in the confidentiality agreement;
(k) under what other circumstances are these types of confidentiality agreements required of bureaucratic staff;
(l) how did this confidentiality agreement differ from the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector;
(m) who specifically wrote the confidentiality agreement and which division and which department do they work in; and (n) who approved the requirements of the confidentiality agreement?