The Assassination of the FOI by the Coward Doug Ford ft. Justin Ling (Podcast)
Ford's latest attack signals the impending erasure of transparency
This week on The North State, I spoke to investigative journalist and Toronto Star columnist Justin Ling about Doug Ford's latest attack on transparency. RSS feed here. Apple Podcasts link here.
Description
Ontario premier Doug Ford used his personal cellphone for provincial business, leading a panel of three judges to rule his personal cellphone was subject to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Now, Ford wants to exempt the premier, cabinet ministers and parliamentary staffers from FOI laws, explicitly saying because of his cellphone use. The move is a brazen attack on the public's right to knowledge about their government, but it's a large and unique piece of a larger attack on freedom of information systems. Justin Ling, investigative reporter and columnist at the Toronto Star, joins Scott to discuss the larger context, the attacks against FOI systems across the country and what news organizations need to do to push back.
Follow Justin Ling on Bluesky
Sources and Further Reading
Doug Ford says officials will ‘look into’ report about twin Thermes - The Trillium
Six developers bought Greenbelt land after Ford came to power. Now, they stand to profit - The Narwhal
How FOI fees, rules and processes vary by jurisdiction - Secret Canada
Doug Ford acknowledges transparency clamp-down is to protect his personal phone - Global News
B.C. government brings in $10 application fee for freedom-of-information requests - CBC News
Alberta government proposes new privacy law to safeguard personal information - CBC News
Alberta's new access to information rules come into effect - Edmonton Journal
Report into Alberta Health Services contracts finds conflicts widely known - CTV News
Canada: Good at Bureaucracy, Bad at Transparency - The Walrus
