US EditionOntario Moves to Keep Documents From Premier and Cabinet Minister Offices Secret
Ontario plans to exempt premier and cabinet records from Freedom of Information requests, extend response times to 45 days, and retroactively apply changes to ongoing cases, officials said.
- On Friday, Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Minister Stephen Crawford announced Ontario legislation to exempt the premier, cabinet ministers, and their staff from freedom-of-information requests, extending response timelines from 30 to 45 days.
- Crawford argued the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, written nearly 40 years ago, requires modernization to address cloud computing; the exemptions apply retroactively, shielding ministerial records from public scrutiny.
- These retroactive changes threaten to void ongoing legal battles, including efforts to access Premier Doug Ford's personal cellphone records and documents related to the Greenbelt scandal, per critics.
- Greens leader Stiles condemned the legislation, stating that changing rules makes it "impossible" to uncover the government's role in the Greenbelt scandal and Ontario Place decisions affecting Ontarians.
- Despite opposition concerns, Crawford defended the move as part of "one of the most transparent governments in the history of Ontario," while officials claim the Information and Privacy Commissioner can still compel records.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Ontario Proposes Law to Shield Premier’s Records From Public Access
The Ontario government is proposing legislation that would shield the records of Premier Doug Ford and his cabinet from freedom-of-information laws, saying the existing legislation, written in 1988, needs updating for the modern era. “We didn’t have smartphones. We didn’t have cyber threats. We didn’t have cloud computing,” Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Minister Stephen Crawford told reporters at a March 13 press conferenc…
The files of the Prime Minister and his ministers will be excluded from the Access to Information Act, according to Doug Ford's government plan.
StratfordToday.ca
Guelph TodayFord government to restrict public access to politicians’ documents
The proposed legislation comes amid battles for access to documents on the Greenbelt and Skills Development Fund scandals and the premier’s personal cell phone records
Ford government proposes FOI law change that would keep premier's records secret
Ontario is set to make Premier Doug Ford and cabinet members' records secret as it "modernizes" freedom-of-information laws, which critics say will dramatically curtail public scrutiny of the political process.
The Toronto Star
Ontario to make premier, cabinet ministers’ records secret as it tightens FOI laws
TORONTO - Ontario is set to make Premier Doug Ford and cabinet members' records secret as it "modernizes" freedom-of-information laws, which critics say will dramatically curtail public scrutiny of the political process.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 83% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
