- Canada
- Last Update 11.30 am
- 21℃ Toronto, Canada
Ontario's freedom of information changes are law. Why experts say they could hurt the government
The reality of Premier Doug Ford's changes to Ontario's freedom of information system are beginning to take hold as rejections and denials make their way to requesters.
While strategists and academics say the controversial changes may allow the government to avoid the release of contentious material, it could also undermine trust in the Progressive Conservatives as examples emerge of once-public documents now being kept under wraps.
The Ford government announced the changes exempting the premier, his cabinet, and their staff from FOI laws in March and passed the bill a month later. The law applied retroactively, killing requests already in the system and prompting a number of rejections.
Ford's FOI changes may let the government withhold contentious records — but experts warn they could erode public trust.
In recent weeks, requests for more information about hospital deficits, flu briefings and Billy Bishop airport records have all been rejected because of the new laws. On Monday, CBC Toronto highlighted the latest of those turfed requests, saying it has been denied access to Ford's calendar, a record that has for years been made public under FOI rules.
"I don't know if there's a reason to restrict that information," said York University public policy and administration professor Zac Spicer of Ford's calendar.
"How I spend my day is something that is auditable by my employer, and the same goes for the premier of Ontario, cabinet ministers and public servants writ large."
Spicer, who once worked as a civil servant in the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, said while the FOI system can be cumbersome and complicated to administer, it does offer an important glimpse into the inner workings of taxpayer-funded government.
"When you purposely restrict access to things, you get the public asking why, and is this government hiding something?" he said. "What you lose is public trust."
Recent News
