Newly disclosed records in an ongoing freedom of information appeal show staff in Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s office used Google Docs to draft and share material tied to cabinet business. The documents include draft policy proposals, a rollout plan with the premier’s prepared remarks to cabinet, and research compiled for senior- level briefings.
The disclosures, revealed by the province while fighting a request to release the files, have prompted criticism from opposition parties and renewed questions about how sensitive government material is stored and tracked.
What the records show
Provincial officials confirmed at least nine records connected to cabinet deliberations were created or circulated in Google Docs. The government describes some of the material as central to cabinet decision making and says disclosure would permit accurate inferences about what was discussed at cabinet meetings.
- Four draft policy proposals from the premier’s office created around fall 2022
- A rollout plan that included the premier’s remarks to cabinet from the Sept. 5, 2023 meeting
- Two documents of research and feedback prepared for senior staff briefings
Because these records were created as a result from direction provided by the premier during a cabinet meeting and were included in a future cabinet submission, disclosure of these records would provide accurate inference with respect to what was discussed at cabinet meetings.
Ontario cabinet office officials
Security and tracking concerns
Documents drawn up for cabinet are among the most tightly protected in provincial government. Traditionally, they are stored in secure systems that limit access and log when documents are opened, printed or downloaded. Google Docs, officials warn critics, does not provide the same non-partisan audit features, such as watermarking or detailed access logs.
You would never use an insecure way of transmitting those. Often, they’re printed and put in binders, sometimes they’re put in electronic binders now, but they’re exceptionally secure.
John Fraser, Ontario Liberal interim leader
Opposition politicians say that lack of tracking heightens the risk that sensitive discussions could be exposed to people outside official channels, including stakeholders or lobbyists who should not have access to internal deliberations.
Opposition response and context
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles called the use of personal Google accounts for government drafting a major security concern and framed it as part of a broader pattern she says is designed to limit public accountability.
Using private email addresses when the government and the premier himself know perfectly well they’re not supposed to indicates to me this is not a mistake, this is not a misstep. This is a consistent pattern of this government which is designed to keep some information out of public view.
Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP leader
The issue is not new. The auditor general previously flagged the Ford government for using personal emails and devices during the Greenbelt land swap controversy. Media reporting has also shown Premier Ford and his chief of staff, Patrick Sackville, using personal phones and email accounts to conduct government business. The government has previously defended such practices by saying corresponding records were maintained on official systems.
Government position and legal fights
The premier’s office did not respond to questions before publication of the original report. In submissions to the freedom of information appeal, officials argued releasing the Google Docs would reveal the substance of cabinet deliberations and said two of the documents contained remarks the premier made to cabinet.
These remarks and direction were communicated to cabinet and as such, the disclosure of these records would reveal exactly what was discussed at a Cabinet meeting.
Ontario cabinet office officials
Global News sought the Google Docs through a freedom of information request and was denied. The appeal forced the province to disclose limited details about the nature of the documents. The matter sits alongside separate legal contests over the release of records from the premier’s personal phone.
What this means for public trust
The disclosures highlight tensions between modern workflows and the rules designed to protect confidential government deliberations. Critics say reliance on personal accounts and consumer cloud tools can erode transparency and complicate record keeping. Government officials say some records are properly protected, and they object to release on the grounds of preserving cabinet confidentiality.
The freedom of information appeal will determine whether more of the material becomes public. Until then, the episode raises questions about how the province balances convenience, security and the public’s right to know.
