PeterM
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Opinion | On The Record newsletter: Freedom of Information - It’s your right to know
This is from the On The Record newsletter, giving subscribers a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into chasing news stories in Waterloo Region. To receive this biweekly newsletter, subscribe here.
By Record staff
The following is from the On The Record newsletter, a biweekly column that brings readers into the newsroom, into the discussions around how we approach our news coverage. These articles are exclusive to subscribers. To receive future On The Record articles by The Record’s Editor-in-chief, Jim Poling, or other exclusive newsletters from The Record, sign up on our newsletters page.
Government should be for the people, by the people. Why then is it OK for Ontario to have laws that allow elected politicians to keep secrets and shield information they don’t want you to see?
The story behind the story
There are many ways journalists with The Record get information for stories. One of the ways is by using a law the Ontario government created about 30 years ago called Freedom of Information legislation.
Record reporter Jeff Outhit has filed three FOI requests on that crash so the public can better understand what happened around the road conditions and maintenance. So far that request has cost The Record $285 to start the process. The government has asked for more time to search and prepare information. When the information is ready, we will have to pay another $285 before receiving any documents.
I’m writing about Jeff’s FOI efforts so you have insight into how we are trying to report on this important topic. I’m also writing because last week Premier Doug Ford made sweeping changes to FOI legislation that exempts the premier’s office, cabinet ministers and their staff from FOI rules. This would mean these taxpayer-funded records are no longer subject to FOI scrutiny.
It gives some Ontario politicians and the bureaucracy they control even more power over people. They get to shield their phone calls and memos. It erodes transparency around key decisions and people should not be OK with this. The line between taxation and representation continues to widen and the model is taxpayers feed government instead of government serving the people. This information is yours.
FOI laws are one of the only ways journalists and the public can see how decisions are made, how money is spent and how power is exercised behind closed doors.
This is from the On The Record newsletter, giving subscribers a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into chasing news stories in Waterloo Region. To receive this biweekly newsletter, subscribe here.
By Record staff
The following is from the On The Record newsletter, a biweekly column that brings readers into the newsroom, into the discussions around how we approach our news coverage. These articles are exclusive to subscribers. To receive future On The Record articles by The Record’s Editor-in-chief, Jim Poling, or other exclusive newsletters from The Record, sign up on our newsletters page.
Government should be for the people, by the people. Why then is it OK for Ontario to have laws that allow elected politicians to keep secrets and shield information they don’t want you to see?
The story behind the story
There are many ways journalists with The Record get information for stories. One of the ways is by using a law the Ontario government created about 30 years ago called Freedom of Information legislation.
Record reporter Jeff Outhit has filed three FOI requests on that crash so the public can better understand what happened around the road conditions and maintenance. So far that request has cost The Record $285 to start the process. The government has asked for more time to search and prepare information. When the information is ready, we will have to pay another $285 before receiving any documents.
I’m writing about Jeff’s FOI efforts so you have insight into how we are trying to report on this important topic. I’m also writing because last week Premier Doug Ford made sweeping changes to FOI legislation that exempts the premier’s office, cabinet ministers and their staff from FOI rules. This would mean these taxpayer-funded records are no longer subject to FOI scrutiny.
It gives some Ontario politicians and the bureaucracy they control even more power over people. They get to shield their phone calls and memos. It erodes transparency around key decisions and people should not be OK with this. The line between taxation and representation continues to widen and the model is taxpayers feed government instead of government serving the people. This information is yours.
FOI laws are one of the only ways journalists and the public can see how decisions are made, how money is spent and how power is exercised behind closed doors.
