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NDP, Liberals speaking out after Ford government moves to host late-night session amid changes to FOI legislation
The retroactive overhaul will block access to premier and cabinet records and end dozens of open requests, critics said.
- On Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government passed legislation restricting freedom-of-information access, shielding the premier, cabinet ministers, and staff from disclosing emails, texts, and phone records.
- Progressive Conservatives bypassed the standard committee review process for the omnibus budget bill, holding a rare late-night session Wednesday to prevent public scrutiny of the controversial FOI changes.
- Retroactive to 1988, these changes nullify current requests and render 40 years of freedom-of-information history subject to new secrecy rules, effectively ending ongoing appeals and court-ordered disclosures.
- NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Liberal Leader John Fraser condemned the move as a "cover-up", arguing the government is attempting to avoid public accountability for its decisions.
- The legislation renders three ongoing court decisions moot, including a ruling that directed Premier Ford to disclose phone logs related to the Greenbelt.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Rae says Ontario’s new FOI rules match other provinces, while local activist disagrees
Perth-Wellington MPP says more than 95 per cent of requests will remain unaffected and oversight bodies will retain access, but former NDP candidate argues the province is using legislation to permanently avoid disclosures that courts have already ordered
Rocky Mountain Outlook
Ford government's restrictive and retroactive information clampdown passes
TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government passed legislation Thursday that makes the records of the premier, cabinet ministers and their staff secret, after refusing to hold public hearings and speeding through a late-night sitting.
InnisfilToday.ca
Ford government freedom-of-information clampdown passes through legislature
TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government passed legislation today that makes the records of the premier, cabinet ministers and their staff secret, after refusing to hold public hearings and speeding through a late-night sitting.
Doug Ford's government in Ontario passed an omnibus bill, criticized by the NDP and the Liberals, which included restrictions on access to information.
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