Ontario FOI Law Blocks Hospital Budget Plans

TORONTO Ontario's recently enacted freedom-of-information law has blocked the release of documents detailing hospital plans to address widespread budget deficits, amid ongoing staff reductions at several facilities.

More than 70 percent of the province's hospitals are projecting deficits. Health Minister Sylvia Jones directed them last year to submit three-year balanced budget plans, prioritizing low-risk cost-saving measures with minimal frontline impacts before considering options that could affect patient services.

The Canadian Press filed a freedom-of-information request in November for related records from the minister's office. The Ministry of Health granted itself a 90-day extension, setting a deadline of March 10, but provided no documents or updates despite follow-up inquiries.

The new law, which took effect recently, exempts records held by the premier, cabinet ministers and their staff from freedom-of-information requests. It applies retroactively to 1988, nullifying many pending requests. Premier Doug Ford acknowledged that blocking a Global News request for his cellphone records was part of the measure's intent. Other affected records include hundreds related to the...