Bill 97 gives the Government of Ontario more centralized power and weakens transparency, local decision-making, and environmental protections.
The bill’s changes to Ontario’s freedom of information laws under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act restricts the public’s access to records from the premier and his cabinet.
This has become especially contentious given the ongoing scrutiny of Doug Ford’s personal cellphone records, which courts ordered be released as part of transparency disputes, and which are also tied to a broader RCMP investigation into the 8.3 billion dollar Greenbelt land swap decision. The timing of the bill, moving to limit access to those records while legal battles and investigations are ongoing, is extremely suspicious and raises concerns about accountability, even as the government claims the changes are about protecting confidential decision-making and aligning rules with other jurisdictions.