B.C.'s first information and privacy commissioner says he's glad to be leaving after six years on the job.

David Flaherty says he's never liked fighting with government. He arrived in Victoria in 1993 touted as one of the world's leading experts on freedom of information and protection of privacy.

Flaherty leaves this week with one more entry on his resume - an independent officer of the legislature who didn't hesitate to criticize the government. "I really don't like fighting with government despite what some of your listeners and some of the politicians may think," Flaherty says.

Flaherty's independence was put to the test last year when the B.C. government tried to cut ministry budgets for freedom of information. He warned the cuts would threaten the whole foundation of open government. Some of the money and staff were reinstated.

Overall he says government has become more open, but there have been hurdles. "The number of enemies of freedom of information in central government at the senior level whether political or public servant can be counted on the fingers of one hand", Flaherty says.

One senior bureaucrat told him the freedom of information act is a threat to democracy. Flaherty says he's glad he won't have to deal with people like that any more.

On the other hand, Flaherty has also been a target of information requests. The Vancouver Province obtained his travel records and questioned whether some of his trips to Europe or the U.S. were justified.

Despite that, Flaherty says he now realizes more than before how important the media are for open and accountable government.