The Ford government’s omnibus budget bill, which includes controversial changes to freedom of information (FOI) laws, passed a final vote at Queen’s Park on Thursday.
The budget bill had been sitting for several weeks at the committee stage with no movement before a rare late-session at Queen’s Park on Wednesday night to push it through.
Both the NDP and Liberal parties accused the Ford government of trying to rush through the controversial FOI changes, which would shield Ford and cabinet members from public access to documents, including the premier’s cellphone records.
A normal legislative process sees bills go to committee, where affected groups and members of the public have a chance to weigh in, and committee members from the government and opposition can propose and debate amendments. But last week House Leader Steve Clark proposed bypassing the committee sessions and public hearings in order to expedite its passing.
The bill also includes changes to the province’s conservation authorities, new rules to cap resale ticket prices, and a one-year HST rebate for new homes, among other items.
The retroactive FOI law would shield Ford and cabinet members — along with their offices — from public access to documents, with Ford admitting that part of the rationale is to kill media requests to obtain his cellphone records.
The government has fast-tracked several pieces of legislation over the past year or so, including laws to ban speed cameras, close supervised consumption sites and boost the education minister’s powers, as well as a law known as Bill 5 that allows the government to suspend municipal and provincial laws in the name of mining or economic development.
With files from The Canadian Press
