Doug Ford Uses Personal Phone for Government Business, Says Government Lawyers

Ontario Government Acknowledges Premier’s Use of Personal Cell Phone for Official Business, Withholds Call Logs Citing Privacy

Government officials in Ontario have confirmed that Premier Doug Ford uses his personal cell phone for government-related matters but are declining to release his phone logs, citing privacy concerns for callers and the complexity of categorizing the nature of the calls.

Canadian News organization Global News has been engaged in a protracted battle for transparency with the Ontario government regarding the Premier’s utilization of his personal cell phone for official taxpayer-related activities and the public’s right to access those records.

Initially, the government refused to grant access to these records, arguing that the Premier’s personal cell phone number falls outside the scope of freedom of information laws. This led to Global News appealing to the province’s Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC).

On September 8, in a subsequent submission to the IPC, government lawyers representing the Cabinet Office acknowledged that Premier Ford does indeed use his private cell phone for a wide range of matters, spanning from personal to political.

The submission stated, “(Cabinet Office) acknowledges that the premier’s personal cell phone number has been made publicly available on occasion and that he uses his personal cell phone.”

The province conceded that since the Premier is essentially “always on-duty,” the calls he receives on his personal device can encompass both family and government-related issues. They explained, “The practical reality is the premier performs many roles and is never fully off-duty. Accordingly, the premier makes and receives calls in his different roles as necessary at all times of the day.”

Government lawyers confirmed that in addition to calls from family and friends, Premier Ford also engages in phone conversations related to his roles as the leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus, a minister, head of the Executive Council and Cabinet, and Premier of Ontario—many of which would involve government business.

However, despite acknowledging that the Premier receives “an overwhelming amount of calls on his personal phone,” the government is still maintaining that the phone logs should remain confidential due to the potential inclusion of constituency matters.

They argue that, in certain instances, callers may be trying to bring issues to the “attention of the premier in his capacity as a member of the Legislative Assembly,” and as such, these calls are not subject to disclosure laws.

The government contends that releasing these call records would “ignore the fundamental privacy rights of both the premier in his personal capacity and those he may communicate with.”

One key point made in the government’s submission is that Premier Ford has not provided his personal cell phone records for examination, leaving even the government’s lawyers with limited insight into his communication during a specific period.

“The cell phone call logs are not in the ministry’s custody or control,” stated the Attorney General’s office in the submission. Furthermore, even if the records were in possession of the government, lawyers argued it would be “impossible to determine” which calls pertained to constituency or government matters versus personal ones.

“To determine what the call was about and whether any exemptions applied, one would have to call each number on the cell phone log, identifying the individual who was on the call at a specific date and time, and ask that individual if they can recall what that specific call was about,” the submission to the IPC read.

Ultimately, the government contends that any attempt to gain insight into Premier Doug Ford’s personal cell phone communications would amount to a “fishing expedition that is highly personally invasive.”

Critics are questioning the government’s stance, particularly in light of the Greenbelt scandal and the Premier’s admission that his government erred in opening protected land for development. NDP Leader Marit Stiles has been pressing for transparency regarding the decision-making process.

“Is the premier using his personal phone to conduct government business to avoid freedom-of-information requests?” Stiles asked the Premier in the Ontario Legislature.

Government House Leader Paul Calandra’s response indicated that even cabinet ministers were aware of government business being conducted on the Premier’s cell phone.

“He gets lots of calls from a lot of people,” Calandra stated, adding that caucus members often pick up the Premier’s calls to address urgent government-related decisions.

In July, Premier Ford disclosed how his phone management works as he distributed his number to a business audience, revealing that his Chief of Staff Patrick Sackville assists in handling the messages and requests he receives on his personal phone.

Parvasi Media Group