STILES: Ford launches brand new excuses to justify democratic backsliding

QUEEN’S PARK — Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP and Official Opposition is calling out Doug Ford's latest excuses for his sweeping Freedom of Information (FOI) changes:

“These are ridiculous excuses,” said Stiles. “The Premier isn’t worried about China, he is worried about what the people of Ontario will see when his phone records are released.

“This is democratic backsliding, plain and simple. The Premier is making every excuse under the sun to justify changing the rules so he and his Cabinet can hide from public accountability.

“Under Ford’s latest rules, a Greenbelt developer would no longer need to pass brown envelopes to the minister's chief of staff at an industry banquet; they can just send an email, and none of it would be FOI-able.

“Ford proudly proclaimed in 2019 that he would 'restore trust, accountability, and transparency in government,’ but his government has become the very thing that he promised to protect Ontarians against – a scandal-ridden government that’s out-of-touch with Ontarians.

“The only person Doug Ford is protecting is himself. This is about his phone records. He lost in court and now he is moving the goalposts to hide the truth from the public. Premier, what exactly are you afraid that the people will see?”