The Decibel Why holding government to account in Ontario could get harder
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Mar 18, 2026 Jeff Gray, Queen's Park reporter for The Globe and Mail who covers Ontario politics. He walks through how freedom of information has uncovered past controversies. He outlines proposed changes to exempt the premier and ministers from FOI. He discusses the government’s privacy rationale and critics’ concerns about reduced transparency.
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What FOI Actually Provides In Ontario
- Freedom of information (FOI) lets citizens request government documents like emails, texts, memos, and briefing notes for about $5.
- Jeff Gray explains FOIs aim to make government records public because taxpayers 'own' documents created by the government they fund.
Greenbelt Revelations Came From FOI Records
- The Greenbelt controversy was exposed in part through FOI requests that revealed developer meetings and potential multi‑billion dollar windfalls.
- Jeff Gray cites Auditor General and Integrity Commissioner findings and media FOIs that changed the public story and led to a reversal.
Attempts To Evade FOI Have Been Revealed
- Governments have tried to evade FOI scrutiny, including aides destroying emails during the gas-plant scandal and using code names like 'G asterix' to hide Greenbelt discussions.
- Gray uses these examples to show why FOIs have historically revealed wrongdoing or concealment.