Ford government freedom-of-information clampdown passes through legislature
Written by The Canadian Press on April 23, 2026
TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government passed legislation today that makes the records of the premier, cabinet ministers and their staff secret, after refusing to hold public hearings and speeding through a late-night sitting.
Ford has admitted that part of the rationale for the clampdown is to kill a request from Global News to obtain his cellphone records.
The law will be retroactive to 1988 and therefore nullify current requests, even those made years ago.
NDP Marit Stiles says it’s shameful the government used the budget bill as a vehicle for covering up Ford’s cellphone records, which a court has ordered him to release.
Interim Liberal leader John Fraser says it guts freedom-of-information laws and amounts to a cover-up of a cover-up.
Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy touted the fact that the government held various consultation sessions before tabling the budget, but could not say if any members of the public asked for changes that would make freedom-of-information laws more restrictive.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2026.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press