NDP: Ford’s writing himself a blank cheque to use taxpayer dollars for his private luxury spa

QUEEN’S PARK – Official Opposition NDP critic for GTA Issues, Bhutila Karpoche (Parkdale—High Park) says the Conservatives are giving themselves extraordinary new powers to bulldoze over Ontario Place with their private luxury spa:

“It’s clear that Ford will stop at nothing to make this spa a reality – changing provincial laws, giving extraordinary powers to his Minister, and refusing to follow process – nothing.

What did the corrupt Conservatives promise Therme in their secret 95-year-long lease? Ford’s writing himself a blank cheque to use taxpayer dollars for this project and Ontarians deserve answers.”

Chris Glover, the NDP MPP for Spadina—Fort York, added “The fight for Ontario Place has always been at Queen’s Park, and we will keep pushing back against this government’s plan to sell off precious public park land to a private luxury spa company under shady terms from a nearly century-long lease. This Bill sets a dangerous precedent for how far Ford’s Conservatives will go to exempt themselves from provincial laws and avoid legal accountability. Ontarians need to know what Ford is signing them up for.”

QUICK FACTS:

• Bill 154, New Deal for Toronto Act, 2023, clearly has nothing to do with the new deal for Toronto, instead, it focuses entirely on giving Ford’s Conservatives the ability to bypass various laws to fast-track the Ontario Place redevelopment, while denying legal remedies for any damages that this may cause
• This bill exempts Ford's Ontario Place scheme from:
  • Environmental Assessment Act
  • Ontario Heritage Act
  • Environmental Bill of Rights
• It also prohibits lawsuits against the government with respect to anything done under this bill – including government misrepresentations, misconduct, misfeasance, bad faith, breach of trust or breach of fiduciary obligation
• Bill 154 gives Minister Kinga Surma the ability to issue Ministerial Zoning Orders, a power currently limited to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing