A recent article by Mirna Djukic at Radio-Canada examines the Ontario government’s proposed changes to the province’s freedom of information legislation. The article focuses on one of the most controversial aspects of the proposal: the exclusion of records held in ministers’ offices from the scope of the province’s FOI legislation, and the transparency concerns raised by that change.
Radio-Canada: Ce que le gouvernement Ford veut pouvoir garder secret
FOI Assist founder Justin Petrillo was interviewed for the article and commented on the potential practical effects of excluding certain records held in ministers’ offices from the scope of Ontario’s FOI legislation.
As noted in the article, such changes could influence how records are managed within government institutions. For example, if records held in ministers’ offices are excluded from access legislation, there may be increased incentives to retain certain materials, such as meeting notes, within those offices rather than within ministries where they would otherwise fall within the scope of freedom of information laws.
This issue, along with other significant proposed reforms to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), will be discussed in greater detail at the next FOI Assist seminar:
FOI Assist Seminar Series
Significant Changes to Ontario’s FOI Legislation
April 28, 2026
10:00 a.m. Eastern Time
The seminar will cover all of the proposed amendments, with a particular focus on their implications for Ontario institutions responsible for administering access to information and privacy programs.
Registration is free for FOI Assist Knowledge Base subscribers. I hope to see you there!
FOI Assist Knowledge Base 
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