Ontario fights release of blue licence plate documents

The Ontario government is taking legal action to prevent the release of documents related to its controversial blue licence plates, challenging a ruling by the province’s information and privacy commissioner that ordered the records be made public. Lawyers for Premier Doug Ford’s government have applied for a judicial review of the commissioner’s decision, which came in response to a freedom of information request filed by The Canadian Press.

The blue licence plates were introduced in early 2020 but were quickly found to be difficult to read at night after a police officer posted a photo on social media showing they were “virtually unreadable.” The government stopped issuing the plates, but nearly 200,000 remained on Ontario roads. The Canadian Press made repeated inquiries about plans to remove them, and government spokespeople said drivers would receive instructions “when the time comes.” After no such plan was announced for nearly three years, a freedom of information request was filed in late 2022 seeking documents on the government’s strategy.

The government identified 15 records but denied access in full, citing exemptions that protect civil service advice and information...