Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
Executive Council
September 29, 2015

Right to Know (RTK) Week 2015 Essay Competition Launched

As part of the celebrations for Right to Know (RTK) Week (September 28 - October 2), the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) and the Office of Public Engagement are launching the 5^th RTK Week Essay Competition, along with co-sponsors Memorial University of Newfoundland, College of the North Atlantic, and the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District.

In light of the extensive revision of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015, this year's essay competition will highlight the purpose of RTK Week which is to raise awareness of everyone's right to access government information, while promoting freedom of information as essential to both democracy and good governance. The RTK Week Essay Competition helps further this purpose, particularly amongst secondary and post-secondary students.

This year's essay topic will be a discussion of:

Balancing the right of businesses to protect their information against the right of citizens to know how Government is spending public money.

The winning essay writer in this year's competition will be awarded a prize valued at $600.00, with the second and third place prizes valued at $250.00 and $150.00, respectively. In addition to cash awards, the winning essays and names of the winners may also be published on the websites or promotional material of the co-sponsoring organizations. Award-winning essays are chosen anonymously by a panel of judges representing and comprised of the organizations involved.

This contest is open to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians studying at the secondary or post-secondary level, as well as non-residents studying at Newfoundland and Labrador secondary and post-secondary institutions. Entries are to be a maximum of 1,000 words, and must be submitted directly to the OIPC via e-mail at commissioner@oipc.nl.ca, or at the below address, postmarked no later than December 31, 2015:

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner

P.O. Box 13004, Station A

St. John's, NL A1B 3V8

For full contest details and restrictions, please see the OIPC website at www.oipc.nl.ca.

- 30 -

Media contacts:

Ed Ring Information and Privacy Commissioner 709-729-6309	Kip Bonnell Communications Manager Office of Public Engagement 709-729-1221, 687-9081 kbonnell@gov.nl.ca
Roger Hulan Communications Specialist College of the North Atlantic 709-643-7938 roger.hulan@cna.nl.ca	David Sorensen Acting Associate Director (Communications) 709-864-2143, 685-7134 sorensen@mun.ca
Ken Morrissey Director of Communications Newfoundland and Labrador English School District 709-758-2371 kenmorrissey@nlesd.ca

2015 09 29                              4:25 p.m.