Government MPPs passed the bill that will retroactively exempt records of the premier, cabinet ministers, parliamentary assistants and their staff from FOI requests.

The Ford government has passed legislation to end the public’s ability to access the records of the premier and other top provincial government decision-makers.

Progressive Conservative MPPs voted on Thursday to pass Bill 97. The omnibus legislation enables plans announced in Premier Doug Ford’s government’s 2026 budget, along with rewriting the province’s records-access law.

Bill 97 is expected to soon receive the lieutenant-governor’s Royal Assent, to become law.

It will rewrite the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) to end the public’s ability to retrieve certain records of the premier, cabinet ministers, parliamentary assistants and staff in their offices with freedom of information requests (FOIs).

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[–] NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 42 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

URGENT: Write to the Lieutenant Governor demanding her withhold the FOI ban!

While Bill 97 passed, it still needs to receive Royal Assent, which the Lieutenant Governor does.

It may be worth contacting her.

Just copy/paste the message below to this link: https://lgontario.ca/en/connect/contact/

Feel free to do your own message if you prefer.

Your Honour,

I am an Ontario resident deeply concerned about the state of our democracy. I urge you to withhold consent of Bill 97 .

Our premier is making a law to stop him from complying with an order from the Court to hand over his phone records.

This is infringement on our rights as Canadians and taxpayers under the constitution.

Such shady changes to Freedom of Information should never receive Royal Assent.

I implore you to do the right thing for the people of Ontario, and do what is ethical and just and withhold this bill.

Kind regards,

[your name]

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 weeks ago

Good idea and thanks for the template!

[–] jaredt@lemmy.ca 31 points 3 weeks ago

This is fucked

[–] NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 30 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Everybody who cares, please remember to write, call, or email your MPP and Mr. Ford.

https://www.ola.org/en/members/current/contact-information

[–] Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 18 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Just emailed my MPP. This is disgusting.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 11 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Are they PC? Mine is a certified PC sleezebag.

[–] Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Ya, a new PC MPP that was previously a city councillor, with scandals of bullying and threatening constituents, and was even caught texting while on a committee zoom call while driving. He is a real dirt bag, perfect for the PC.

Maybe we have the same POS MPP?

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

LMAO, no I'm in Mississauga. Def a different dirtbag. He's been with Doug since the beginning.

[–] Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 weeks ago

Well, there is no shortage of them in caucus.

[–] dom@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 weeks ago

Email and complain saying this will let liberals scam us

[–] crusa187@lemmy.ml 15 points 3 weeks ago

Damn this seems pretty bad. Good luck fighting back Canadians!

[–] thlibos@thelemmy.club 14 points 3 weeks ago

Please stop imitating us, Canada.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

He must have been fixing the elections for him to need to try this hard to hide it.

[–] k_rol@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I think he is booboo because people were angry at him about his private jet and had to sell it.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 weeks ago

Or that they keep releasing the wrong prisoners and despite being in official records for the last 5 years they acted like it wasn't happening, then they had never heard of it, then acted like it's already been dealt with, then said it will be dealt with soon.

But neither of these did anything to pull his support away so I imagine it must be way worse.

This coming while rumours of CSAM on his phone are spreading is just a coincidence.

[–] CanIFishHere@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 weeks ago

Whether you agree with this or not, considering it's already in place in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Quebec there is no way the Lieutenant Governor would refuse to sign the bill.