TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government is planning to pass its omnibus budget bill that contains a retroactive clampdown on access to his cellphone records without allowing public hearings.

The usual legislative process sees bills go to committee, where affected groups and members of the public have a chance to weigh in, and committee members from the government and opposition can propose and debate amendments.

But government house leader Steve Clark is now proposing to bypass all of that for a budget bill that merges the province’s conservation authorities, paves the way for redevelopment of a lot outside the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto, caps resale ticket prices, and most controversially, changes freedom-of-information laws.

The retroactive FOI law would shield Ford and cabinet members — along with their offices — from public access to documents, with Ford admitting that part of the rationale is to kill a request from Global News to obtain his cellphone records.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles says Ford is going to great lengths to hide his cellphone records and by refusing to schedule public hearings, he is sending a message that he doesn’t want to hear from people who disagree with him.

The government fast-tracked several pieces of legislation in the fall as well, which opposition parties said was anti-democratic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2026.

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press