The Ford government has completed a last-minute dash to pass its controversial changes to freedom-of-information laws in Ontario, overruling and reversing a court ruling that demanded the premier begin work to release some of his phone records.
The changes were tucked into Ontario’s 2026 budget, which was tabled at the end of March, passed two rounds of debate and then lay dormant for weeks.
The overhaul will exclude the premier, his cabinet and all of their staff from disclosing emails, texts, phone records or any other documents they’ve created in their government work.
It’s a move Ontario’s information and privacy commission urged the government to abandon, saying it would make Ontario less secure and less transparent than any other jurisdiction in the country.
The Ford government, however, didn’t heed the calls, arguing it was updating an outdated law and aligning with other parts of the country.
Instead of slowing down, the province chose to speed up its push to pass the controversial law.
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Rather than sending it to committee for debate and scrutiny from the public, the Progressive Conservatives decided this week to skip that normal process altogether.
Then, they scheduled a late-night debate, allowing MPPs to pass the law before they head off for a weeklong break.
After question period on Thursday, the government passed the bill, sending it to receive royal assent and applying retroactive changes to 40 years of freedom-of-information requests.
Once it receives royal assent, it will become law. The government indicated it is still waiting for the lieutenant governor to decide a date for that to happen.
Stephen Crawford, Minister of Public Business and Service Delivery, stopped to very briefly answer questions from reporters as he left following the vote.
He said he’d read a Global News story covering how almost every word about the return to the office mandate by Ontario’s secretary of the cabinet had been redacted — despite the government insisting requests to the civil service would shed light on how decisions are made.
“You’re suggesting we’re making a lot of changes. What are the changes then? There’s not a lot of changes,” he insisted.
The overhaul will essentially exempt all records from the political side of government.
It will be retroactive, ending dozens of ongoing freedom-of-information requests for documents from the Ford government, rendering three ongoing court decisions moot and killing multiple appeals.
Among the court decisions that will now be reversed is a recent ruling that directed Premier Doug Ford to work to release his call logs from November 2022, the month his government announced its plan to remove land from the Greenbelt.
During question period, the opposition pushed Ford on the link between the legislation and his personal cellphone.
“You’re changing the laws retroactively, so there must be something really, really, really bad on your cell phone,” Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser said to Ford during question period. “What is it?”
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the budget legislation was “all about covering up the premier and the deals that he has been making on his device.”
Crawford claimed to reporters on Thursday afternoon that Ontario is “the gold standard” for transparency.
Guess what everything will fall under the 5%. You want what ohh that’s the 5 you need what information? That’s the 5 we live in Russia now thanks Ford
Voting will fix the problem 🙄
All Government need to go doesn’t matter who you vote for anymore there all the same.
Stop saying Dug Trump is a Liberal! Not even close. He is a corrupt conservative! Face it. You put him there! And shame on those too lazy for not voting! This is the garbage you end up with!
Unbelievable. King Doug at it again. What were the people of Ontario thinking for voting for this dictator?! And what is wrong with the people of Ontario who choose note to bother turning out to vote. This man is destroying this province.
So wrong . And another thing your adds are not paid for by the Ontario Government they are paid for by the Ontario taxpayers
These absolutely braindead right wingers in these comments. SLUG FORD IS A RIGHT WINGER!!! Always has been! You fools couldn’t even define Liberal, Con, social democrat, etc.. Right wingers are the most uninformed mental cases that we have in our electorate. @Les, @Shiela, you people are mad.
So where are you now, right wingers? Slug is taking away more of our rights, and yet total and complete silence.
Doug Ford is a total D Canoe
At least he’s not doing coke, though, right? Like his POS brother.
You get what you vote for.
Doug Fraud is a liberal
Well Doug ford or shall I say
Trump Jr successfully covered his ass from prosecution the man is a CROOK we all know he made deal with his Rich buddys he got caught with them at his daughter’s wedding. Hes dirty then trump shorts and that’s saying alot he needs to go big time this guy use to run to his brother everytime he tryed to make a decision make you wander who’s pulling his strings now ….smh
Douggie will pay at the next election. Long time supporter, but that ends here and now.
Doug Ford is not a liberal.
Doug Fraud is a Conservative just in case you didn’t know and the worse Premier ever!
I ALWAYS thought that we voted these people into power to RUN OUR PROVINCES and manage our tax dollars but it seem that I have been wrong on that since this kind of move has NOTHING to do with running the country or managing our money so why is Ford even allowed to consider doing it? THIS IS THE PEOPLE’S LAW, not a law that Ford should be allowed to touch.
Ford showing his true Liberal colors. F*ck you Ford! Fascist pig!
Ford acting like a Federal Liberal Leader. Lard Ford enacting draconian laws to hide is Governments corruption and incompetence.
Now he can rebuy that gravy plane and do a trump and say it came from donations like that ball room.
Full on conservative takeover and far right. He’s our mini trump
This is why majority governments are never good.
Ford is as much conservative as a Trudeau. Showing his true red colours.