March 13, 2026
RED FM News Desk
The Government of Ontario says it plans to introduce new legislation that would allow certain documents from the Premier’s Office and cabinet ministers’ offices to remain confidential.
Under the proposed law, both current and past documents from these offices would be excluded from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Stephen Crawford said the change is intended to protect cabinet confidentiality, allowing members of the Executive Council to hold open and candid discussions on important matters. He added that while internal discussions would remain confidential, final government decisions would still be made available to the public through the public service.
However, the plan to amend Freedom of Information laws at Queen’s Park has drawn strong criticism from opposition parties.
Marit Stiles, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, argued that the government has no valid reason to change the legislation. She said people have a right to know what the government is doing and how decisions are made.
In a social media post, Stiles wrote: “Doug Ford is changing the rules so that he and his ministers never have to answer to you. Ever.” She added that past investigations, including the Ontario Greenbelt scandal and the Ontario Place spa deal, were uncovered through FOI requests.
Critics claim the proposed changes would effectively exempt Doug Ford, his cabinet, and their offices from key transparency laws, making it more difficult for the public to access government records.
“He’s not trying to protect one document. He’s trying to make sure you can never find out what he’s hiding,” Stiles said.
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