By Staff
April 18th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition has released the following statement in response to the Integrity Commissioner’s 2-year lobbying ban on John Mutton a.k.a. Mr. X, as well as the naming of Matt Johnston, both prominent characters in Premier Ford’s Greenbelt carve-up:
“These are the kind of people that this government is in business with – a lobbyist who has broken the law not once, not twice, but repeatedly for almost a decade. This is ridiculous, and we know that it is far from over.
John Mutton with Premier Doug Ford
Marit Stiles going after Premier for in the Legislature.
“Mutton is no stranger to this government’s scandals. He received hundreds of thousands of dollars to open up Greenbelt lands, win over MZOs, all while putting public office holders in conflicts of interests with fundraisers, Toronto Raptors tickets, and more.
We need to know who these public officials are.
“Our province is facing a lot of uncertainty right now – people are worried about their future, their livelihoods. People need a government they can trust to put their best interests first.
“The Premier needs to clean up the culture of cash-for-access and preferential treatment that continues to plague his government so we can get to work strengthening Ontario.”
Background:
Mr. Mutton organized a political fundraiser raising more than $25,000 for a public office holder’s riding association, brought in $5,000 to a fundraiser that benefited a public office holder, and offered public office holders Raptors tickets. Mutton’s unregistered lobbying reaches as far back as 2016, when he lobbied the Ontario Liberal government.
The Integrity Commissioner has also published non-compliances against Matthew Johnston and Michael Froderick.
Mr. Johnston’s advocacy on behalf of several Greenbelt developers was mentioned throughout the Integrity Commissioner’s report on Steve Clark and the changes to the Greenbelt.
According to the Integrity Commissioner, Greenbelt developer Sergio Manchia bought tickets to the Premier’s daughter’s stag and doe from Tony Miele, the head of the PC Party’s fundraising arm, and gave them to Mr. Johnston.
The Ontario NDP has written to the Integrity Commissioner to release information about the public office holders implicated in Nico Fidani-Diker’s lobbying activities, and continues to call for transparency about public office holders who are in conflict of interest from Mutton’s lobbying activities
Over the past two years, the Official Opposition team has unearthed evidence after evidence about the $8 billion Greenbelt scheme and questionable MZOs designed to enrich lobbyists and insiders on the public dime.
Doug Ford’s Conservative government is currently under RCMP criminal investigation for the Greenbelt carve-up
I wrote this a few days a go regarding this issue. The question is how do “we’ …. the people ….. find someone with enough guts to begin a real investigation and fix this grift ?
this debacle tells us everything we need to know about “process” at QPark and especially about the allegiances and “party line” politics inside this Government.
It’s actually a pretty easy fix if anyone cared enough to proceed.
1. the RCMP needs to be given a deadline date ( like tomorrow) to thoroughly finish its criminal investigation into possible misconduct, including influence peddling, breach of trust, or other offences, and charges should be laid regardless of political office.
2, the Ethics Commissioner should be given “teeth” and be allowed to impose sanctions.
3. develop new laws making it a criminal offence for public officials to influence land-use decisions for personal gain or that of associates.
4. amend The Green Belt Act to require a two-thirds legislative majority to remove or change boundaries, making it harder for future governments to unilaterally tamper with it. All environmental and agricultural criteria must be met for any proposed changes.
5. establish a Permanent ( PUBLIC ) Greenbelt Oversight Body, with binding authority, that is independent and non-partisan consisting of scientists, Indigenous leaders, urban planners, and citizens to oversee any changes or development applications near or within the Greenbelt.
6. publish all Government lobbying activity and communications related to land use.
7. require cabinet ministers and senior staff to publicly disclose relationships or communications with developers.
BOOM !!! DONE !!!!
But first, there should be serious … like “jail time”….. consequences for the 2022 “scam” !!
Now that Doug Ford finally came out as a Liberal, everything he has ever done should be suspect.