Representatives of the government will be empowered to inspect the files of people who have seen any health care provider for 17 years after the person has stopped seeing the health professional. In the past, the people investigating or looking at file would have been psychologists charged with the responsibility to ensure proper care and respect for confidentiality. Under the new legislation, however, the people looking at your information will be directly controlled by the government, whatever government is in power. Having the government empowered to look at psychotherapy or assessment files by psychologists or other health care providers opens the door to politically motivated investigation.

Many psychologists have indicated that they cannot continue to see clients under these conditions and have already started the process of registering in another province or country (14% in an ongoing survey of health professionals).