Tory staffers tried to block documents: report

The Canadian Press has learned two more Conservative staffers in the office of cabinet minister Christian Paradis tried to block the release of access-to-information documents.

In October, Paradis adviser Sbastien Togneri resigned after it was revealed he had meddled in at least three different access-to-information requests while in the Public Works Department.

Those incidents are the subject of an investigation by the information commissioner.

But twoother policy advisers within Paradis's office Marc Toupin and Jillian Andrews were also involved in dealing with records destined for public release under access-to-information legislation.

Documents obtained by CPsuggest Toupinand Andrews both argued against the release of material on sensitive subjects.

In one case, Toupin told a bureaucrat that comments in a document shouldn't be released because they were inappropriate and improper.

It wasn't clear from the documents whether the access files were ever released.

When asked about the actions of the two staffers, a spokesman for Paradis underlined that the person responsible for access to information at the time Togneri had already resigned.

Paradis is now natural resources minister. Toupin and Andrews still work for him.