The Government of Ontario says it plans to overhaul the province’s access-to-information rules in a move that would shield records held by political offices, including those of Doug Ford and cabinet ministers, from public disclosure.
The proposed changes are expected to be introduced this spring by Stephen Crawford, the minister responsible for public and business service delivery, and they would significantly narrow the scope of Ontario’s freedom-of-information system by removing political staff and ministers’ offices from the request process.
Currently, members of the public, journalists and advocacy groups can request government documents through the province’s access-to-information framework, formally known as the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, or FOI. While some material can be withheld, such as cabinet deliberations, legal advice and policy recommendations, communications and records tied to ministers’ offices can still be requested in certain circumstances.