Scientologists have played a major role in bringing about Freedom of Information in Canada. In 1991, Canadian Scientologist Darrell Evans, supported by a diverse group of concerned citizens, founded the British Columbia Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA), becoming its first president, and is today its Executive Director. FIPA has itself become widely known and respected for its effective advocacy of freedom of information issues. In commenting on the need for privacy in the electronic age, Bruce Philips, Privacy Commissioner of Canada, has stated that, “FIPA’s ongoing role as public advocates for privacy in this world of new technologies is one that is critical to supporting sound public policy in British Columbia.”

Furthermore, FIPA was instrumental in enacting British Columbia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act in 1992, the year after FIPA was founded. Because of the group’s reputation for expertise in freedom of information, in 1993 civil liberties advocates in the neighbouring province of Alberta invited FIPA’s president to Alberta to structure their efforts to establish FOI legislation there. Soon afterwards, the Alberta parliament passed the province’s own Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

In addition to conducting its own studies, FIPA provides research assistance to academics, lawyers, journalists and students and has advised thousands of organisations and individuals concerning freedom of information and privacy issues. Such efforts are consistent with the commitment of churches of Scientology and their members in establishing true freedom of information — and true democracy — throughout the world.

In Australia, the efforts of Scientologists contributed to decisions by both the federal government and the state of Victoria to introduce freedom of information laws.

Until 1982, neither state nor federal law contained any provisions granting the public access to information about themselves contained in government files. Starting in the mid-1970s, Scientologists, aware of this situation, took action to publicise the need for freedom of information and formed pro-FOI groups in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra. These groups became part of a growing movement to enact FOI laws in Australia, along with representatives of law institutes, chambers of commerce, and religious and trade union leaders. Scientologists and other concerned citizens took actions to increase public awareness of the dangers of government secrecy, circulated written papers on the subject, and took up the issue in meetings with individual members of parliament, attorney general’s departments, and parliamentary committees in Canberra and in the states of New South Wales and Victoria.

As a result of their extensive advocacy actions, when the Victorian and federal Australian governments passed FOI Acts in 1982, the Scientologists could take credit for laying much of the groundwork that made these laws possible. Since then, all Australian states have enacted FOI legislation.

In neighbouring New Zealand in 1977, three Scientologists founded the All Party Committee for Freedom of Information. The group quickly gained support for a FOI law from a diverse range of individuals and groups: civil liberties bodies, the country’s law society, environmental organisations and journalists. Soon, members of the New Zealand parliament took up the issue, and the groundswell of support for a law gathered strength. In 1982, New Zealand adopted its own Official Information Act, which allowed access to government files for the first time.