TORONTO - Most Ontario hospitals will release the employment contracts of their CEO's and other top executives today.

Hospitals became subject to freedom of information legislation Jan. 1, but rather than wait for requests will post their executive contracts, board minutes and financial plans online today.

Tom Closson, CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association, says being more transparent will boost the public's confidence in what he says is the most efficient hospital system in Canada.

He says it will help the public understand that they are actually getting good performance out of their hospitals.

The New Democrats are calling on the government to cap the salary of hospital CEO's at $418,000 a year, but Closson says that is motivated by politics, not by the need to retain good leaders.

The Liberals gave hospitals a partial exemption from the FOI legislation that critics said would allow them to hide embarrassing problems.

But Closson says doctors and nurses must be able to freely discuss cases without worrying that what they said would be made public.