Freedom Of Information

• Ontario to bypass public hearings on FOI overhaul that will hide premier’s phone logs

  Weeks after tabling the budget, the government has decided to speed its central financial plan and two other pieces of legislation past the traditional process.

  Canada

  Apr 17
  
• Ontario FOI changes will make it ‘less transparent than even the federal government’

  The Ford government included its restrictions on freedom of information laws as part of its 2026 budget, which will head to committee.

  Politics

  Apr 6
  
• Advertisement
• Majority oppose Ontario’s freedom of information clampdown, new poll finds

  Research conducted by Abacus Data on behalf of CUPE found just 24 per cent of those asked support the new changes, while 60 per cent are against them.

  Politics

  Mar 25
• Advertisement
• Ford accuses FOI watchdog of ‘politicizing’ transparency clamp-down

  The government is facing pushback, including from the IPC, over its plan to give political staff and government ministers near total immunity from transparency requests.

  Politics

  Mar 24
• Watchdog urges Ontario to drop transparency overhaul before the ‘ink is dry’

  Information and Privacy Commissioner Patricia Kosseim said nobody in Premier Doug Ford's government consulted with her office before unveiling changes to privacy laws.

  Politics

  Mar 24
• Doug Ford’s cellphone records under spotlight ahead of transparency law changes

  As Ontario MPPs return from the winter break, opposition leaders are attacking Premier Doug Ford's efforts to shield himself, his cabinet and staff from transparency rules.

  Politics

  Mar 23
• Watchdog says transparency crackdown will make Ontario more secret and less secure

  Ontario's privacy watchdog says a Ford government plan to shield the premier, cabinet ministers and their staff from FOI laws is out step with rules elsewhere in Canada.

  Politics

  Mar 21
• Critics say Ford is ‘flooding the zone’ to distract from transparency controversy

  Since announcing sweeping changes to Ontario's freedom of information laws, the Ford government has unveiled a flurry of new policies.

  Politics

  Mar 18
• Advertisement
• Doug Ford acknowledges transparency clamp-down is to protect his personal phone

  The province is in the process of overhauling how freedom of information works in Ontario to retroactively exempt all calls and texts from the premier and others.

  Politics

  Mar 17
• Advertisement
• Ford government silent on cost of fighting release of premier’s cellphone records

  Since 2022, provincial lawyers have worked untold hours to block attempts to access the government calls Ontario Premier Doug Ford makes and receives on his personal phone.

  Politics

  Mar 17