NDP ramps up fight to hold Ford accountable for Greenbelt carve-up

Stiles follows up letter to Auditor General with complaint to Integrity Commissioner

QUEEN’S PARK — The NDP is ramping up its fight to hold Doug Ford accountable over the concerning circumstances surrounding his scheme to carve up the Greenbelt.

Marit Stiles, next leader of the Ontario NDP and MPP for Davenport, has followed up her letter to the Auditor General with a complaint to the Integrity Commissioner raising questions about insider information and improper lobbying. Stiles’ complaint, filed Thursday with the Integrity Commissioner, cites sections 2 and 3 of the Members’ Integrity Act and section 3.4 of the Lobbyists Registration Act.

Section 2 of the Members’ Integrity Act prohibits MPPs from participating in decisions that create opportunities to further their private interests or improperly further another person's private interests. Section 3 of the Members’ Integrity Act prohibits MPPs from using or communicating information that isn’t publicly available to further or seek to further their private interests or improperly further or seek to further another person's private interests.

“The more we learn about Doug Ford’s scheme to carve up the Greenbelt the more red flags go up,” said Stiles. “The people of Ontario deserve a clear answer on whether this government, its ministers or any other government or PC Party official shared information with any landowner about potential Greenbelt removals before making their scheme public. Thousands of acres of prime farmland and precious wetlands are at risk.”

Stiles has already asked the Auditor General to look into the Ford government’s Greenbelt carve-up to see how much landowners stand to benefit and whether it’s in the public interest.