Leader of the opposition asks Premier Ford: why not disclose the records from the personal phone he himself admitted he uses regularly

By Pepper Parr

October 19th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

NDP Leader of the Opposition Marit Stiles

She said she was going to keep going after him – true to her word she did just that when she tabled a motion that, if passed, would force the Ford Conservatives to stop their appeal to the province’s Information and Privacy Commissioner and finally disclose the Premier’s phone and email records. NDP Leader Marit Stiles issued the following statement: 

“The more we learn about the Ford government’s preferential treatment to speculators and personal friends, the more the Premier appears to hide. 

If Mr. Ford truly did nothing wrong, why not disclose the records from the personal phone he himself admitted he uses regularly for government business?  

While he’s at it, why not release his emails? 

This government is under a cloud of suspicion; it is being investigated by the RCMP. People deserve to know who their Premier is talking to and what he’s saying.” 

BACKGROUND 

• The motion will be debated Monday, Oct. 23.  
• Guidance from the Information and Privacy Commissioner advises that the government and political staff only use government devices and platforms. 
• In the Auditor General’s Special Report on Changes to the Greenbelt, she indicated: “It is important to note that any communication between lobbyists and political staff about government business is still subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and is not excluded from this act even if the communication occurred on a personal email account.” 

MOTION 

Whereas the Government is under criminal investigation by the RCMP for their removal of lands from the Greenbelt; and 

Whereas the Auditor General is in the process of reviewing whether there has been mismanagement and abuse of Ministerial Zoning Orders; and

Whereas there are outstanding questions about an inappropriate relationship between a former Government Minister and a land speculator, and incorrect information provided to the Integrity Commissioner about this relationship; and

Whereas there are outstanding questions about whether there was preferential treatment given to a foreign company to build a private spa on public land at Ontario Place; and

Whereas there are outstanding questions about preferential treatment given to government donors and personal friends of the Premier with respect to the building of Highway 413; and

Whereas there are outstanding questions about unqualified patronage appointments to public agencies, boards, and commissions; and

Whereas the Premier has admitted that he regularly uses his personal phone to conduct government business and those communications might be relevant to these inquiries;

Therefore the Legislative Assembly calls on the Premier to cease his access to information appeal and disclose the contents of his personal phone and email accounts to the Information and Privacy Commissioner. 

The Motion will be defeated because Premier Ford’s government has a clear majority of member of the Legislature.  But the question has been asked.