Questions for the Privacy Commissioner concerning the EI audits/house invasions visits

First of all, let’s make something clear. EI recipients are clients. They have paid their insurance premiums and are clients, making insurance claims. Certainly some may commit fraud, but there are laws as to how agencies are allowed to investigate possibility of fraud.

First, before beginning an investigation that goes beyond the standard approval process, they need a reason to suspect fraud – a complaint, suspicious activity...They can’t simply treat every client as potential fraudsters by randomly auditing them through surprise visits in which they gather unspecified information.

Questions which the Privacy Commissioner needs to get answers to:

What information are federal employees told to gather through house visits?

How is this information gathered? (silent observation, questions, questioning and/or observing people other than the client at the home?

What information is included on any reports given to HRDC?

What is the format of this information?

To what use is this information put? How is the information applied?

What privacy rating is assigned to this information?

Who has access to this information?

Where, how, and for how long is this information stored?

What training have employees who gather the information, and employees who have access to it received in privacy issues and security issues?

What information is given to the clients prior to a visit and during a visit concerning information that will be gathered?

What privacy considerations are specifically given to non-EI claimants sharing the home being visited?

I’m sure there are many more privacy concerns than these that come quickly to my mind. These need to be answered. They are of concern to all Canadians whether or not they ever file an EI claim. We need assurances that a government can’t simply implement a poorly thought through program without making sure that our rights are not being violated. If we let this one pass without serious scrutiny, who knows what will come next?