If you have read anything coming out of Ontario Auditor General's report into the removal of Greenbelt lands for development, you will know that the stench of corruption is deep and pervasive in the Doug Ford government. I watched Ford and Housing Minister Steve Clark's damage-control news conference this afternoon, and it was staggeringly unconvincing.
No heads will roll, not even that of Clark's chief of staff. All the hapless duo would admit to was that they are committed to "improving the process."
The following analysis sifts through the facts concisely, articulating the truth to be found in this sordid debacle:
No heads will roll, not even that of Clark's chief of staff.
ReplyDeleteIn the short term "no" but this is a huge club handed to the NDP and Liberals. So far I have only read the "Reflections" part of the report but that alone screams corruption.
Properly capitalized on (sorry, unintentional pun) it could precipitate a Conservative leadership change and possibly bring down the government. With any luck we might get some criminal proceedings.
I live in Eastern Ontario and am aware of the Ottawa Green Belt. I did not even know that Toronto had a Green Belt. How devoted are Toronto and surrounding areas to it?
My reading of the issue is that it is near and dear to many people, not just because of the huge environmental compromise the sell-out entails, but also because it is such an obvious, disrespectful middle finger to the citizens of Ontario, to whom he lied when he vowed he would not touch the Greenbelt, Anon.
DeleteIt may prove to be more than Ontario will put up with - I think it depends on whether the media is outraged or just "business as usual, nothing to see here"
ReplyDeleteI do hope the stench of extensive corruption lingers in the olfactory centres of voter for a long time, Cathy. And, of course, the people will also bear witness to another sweetheart deal, the waterfront spa, which will cost us $600 million to build the consortium an underground parking lot. Linda Mcquaig has an interesting article on it in today's. Star: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/if-the-ontario-place-spa-deal-is-so-good-why-is-doug-ford-so-secretive/article_57b804ba-0c82-5f20-a261-5627628d0c15.html
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm up to pg. 14 of the report. It is even worse than I thought.
ReplyDeleteAt
least 92% of the acreage removed from the Greenbelt
was from five land sites passed on from two develop-
ers (which included a land site associated with a third
developer) who had direct access to the Housing Min-
ister’s Chief of Staff. pg. 14
It looks like the Housing Minister's chief of staff was working under the direction of 2 or 3 developers. The "Green Belt Team" were sworn to secrecy so they could not consult with anyone even within their own ministry! They were then given a 3 week time frame!
"Banana Republic Corruption" at its worst. I wonder if the RCMP or some other Federal level organization has investigative authority?
Currently, the OPP are saying little about any investigation into this corrupt and criminal activity, Anon. I can only hope against hope that they are just getting all their ducks in a row before laying charges.
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