NDP: “Last time this happened, someone went to jail,” privacy watchdog reveals Ford government broke the law with Greenbelt cover-up

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition NDP, has issued the following statement in response to the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s findings about the Ford government breaking their legal obligations to maintain government records while planning the Greenbelt land removals:

“Deleting government records is illegal. The last time this happened; someone went to jail. Enough hiding, it’s time for the Premier to come clean.”

“When will the Premier finally answer for the disturbing culture of dodging accountability and disappearing records within this government? Today’s report makes it clear that the Ford government broke the law while trying to cover up their Greenbelt carve-up. It’s time for consequences.”

The Information and Privacy Commissioner’s probe into the Ford government’s Greenbelt records comes after Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP’s efforts to uncover the use of personal e-mails, missing government records, and code words to frustrate FOI searches.

BACKGROUND:

• In 2013, revelations in an IPC report triggered a police investigation that eventually resulted in jail time for Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty's chief of staff in relation to the destruction of records during the gas plant scandal.
• Ford’s government is currently under criminal investigation by the RCMP.
• On April 15, 2024, Stiles provided the IPC with evidence that the Ford government tried to avoid compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, including:
• Emails that used the code word G* in place of Greenbelt
• Use of the Premier’s personal phone for government business
• Inconsistencies in testimony concerning the Greenbelt
• On May 21, the IPC responded, revealing that they have 19 active files concerning requests for records related to the Greenbelt – so many that they have decided to dedicate an entire special report on access-to-information and record-keeping relating to changes to the Greenbelt.