Ford MZO boosts property value of PC allies

Oro-Medonte land listed for 10 times the purchase price

QUEEN’S PARK — On behalf of the NDP, Municipal Affairs critic Jeff Burch called on Doug Ford to explain why he issued a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO) in Oro-Medonte that gave his buddies a ten-fold increase in the value of their property.

A subsidiary of Molded Precision Components (MPC) purchased land in Oro-Medonte for $2.65 million. Then David Yeaman of MPC and Geoffrey Campbell of Oakleigh Developments requested and received an MZO from the Ford government. In 2020, Ford government issued the MZO. Then, in February, MPC listed the land for sale for $26.3 million, ten times the previous purchase price. The MZO was listed as a selling point.

“Yet again, Ford has tried to make his buddies even more rich by issuing an MZO, ” said Burch. “All this MZO did was try to make Ford’s buddies ten times richer, no matter what it costs the rest of us.”

MPC has contracts with the provincial government to manufacture PPE, and has hosted multiple tours with PC politicians, while Geoffrey Campbell has donated thousands to the PC Party, including to the riding associations of Ministers Steve Clark and Doug Downey.

The Ford government has issued 80 MZOs in just the last three years — more than five times what the previous government issued in 15 years. More than half of these MZOs have benefitted friends or donors to Doug Ford and the Conservatives.

The township of Oro-Medonte wants the MZO revoked. Although that would take no more than the stroke of a pen, Clarke has not done that weeks and weeks after the township made the request.