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Ontario government officials have rejected a freedom of information request for information on the effectiveness of speed cameras after sitting on it for months while transparency laws were changed.
As Premier Doug Ford railed against automated speed cameras and called them a “cash grab” that doesn’t slow drivers down, Global News sought to understand what information the government had considered.
At the end of September 2025, a request was submitted for all studies and reports held by the minister of transportation’s office on how speed cameras either slow people down or raise revenue.
Typically, a freedom of information request must be responded to within 30 days, although there are reasons it can be extended for longer.
Months passed after the request was submitted without any communication from civil servants at the Ministry of Transportation before it was rejected.
“As of April 24, 2026, amendments to the Act came into force that exclude certain categories of records from its application,” the Ministry of Transportation wrote in a letter 10 months after the request was first sent in.
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“We have reviewed your request and determined that the records you seek fall within the section 65 (18) exclusion under the Act relating to records held by ministers, parliamentary assistants and their offices.”
The letter is a reference to sweeping transparency changes announced by the Ford government earlier this year.
In March 2025, the government announced it would change transparency laws to exempt all cabinet ministers and their staff from scrutiny — a retroactive law that applied to all ongoing requests as well as new ones.
Those changes were applied to Global News’ request for information on speed cameras because the question was what information the minister’s office had when it decided to draft a ban on the tools.
“Too many municipalities were using speed cameras as a cash grab rather than a safety tool,” the Ministry of Transportation said in response to questions from Global News.
“Our government is putting tangible measures in place, like speed bumps and roundabouts, to slow down drivers and actually protect children and families. We’ve come to the table with $210 million in funding for municipalities through the Road Safety Initiative Fund to put these measures in place.”
The government did not address questions over why the request wasn’t dealt with within the standard 30-day window.
Ontario Liberal MPP Stephanie Smyth said she feared it was a cynical move to slow the release of information so the new law could ultimately block it.
“We’ve been concerned that the changes the government made to Ontario’s Freedom of Information laws would make it easier for requests to be delayed or denied, and this decision will only reinforce those concerns,” she said in a statement.
“Whether it’s through lengthy delays or broad new exemptions, the result is the same: journalists and the public are finding it harder to access information that should be available. Transparency shouldn’t depend on whether the government is comfortable with the questions being asked.”
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