I wrote my MPP and Fords office about changes to the FOI act. These are the canned responses I got.
From my MPP.
"Thank you for contacting the office of MPP with your concerns around FOI updates. The province is updating digital government and privacy protections, including stronger cybersecurity rules, enhanced safeguards for children’s information and updated FOI timeline and processes.
The current access and privacy framework was introduced back in 1988 and has been lacking in major updates, thus not effectively reflective of today’s technology and modern governance.
Ontario is currently one of only two jurisdictions in Canada without explicit protections for records belonging to cabinet ministers or their offices. This weakens clarity of protections for cabinet decision making and undermines the confidentiality of, and candidness of, discussions between ministers and their offices.
To address these gaps, the province is taking the necessary actions to exclude the Premier, Cabinet Ministers, Parliamentary Assistants and their offices from FOI requirements, which brings Ontario closely in line with the approach taken by other jurisdictions in Canada, including the Federal government.
If the records are with a public servant, they will remain subject to FIPPA via the records of the public servant, ensuring that political direction to the civil service will remain accessible to the public.
Additionally, the proposed changes include strengthening cyber security rules for vital public services with mandatory cyber security practices in hospitals, school boards, children’s aid societies and post-secondary institutions. To enhance the province’s ability to prevent and respond to cyber-attacks, broader public sector organizations will be required to complete cyber maturity assessments every two years, report critical incidents and designate a single point of contact in the event of a cyber security incident."
From Fords office.
"Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly valued.
You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read, reviewed and taken into consideration.
There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a response may take several business days.
Thanks again for your email."
Gotta keep pushing these people.