By Pepper Parr
October 6th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
We are supposed to know how the Ford government is going to return all the land that it moved out of the Greenbelt boundary sometime after the Thanksgiving holiday when a bill will be tabled in the Legislature setting out just how this will be done.
It will be a messy piece of legislation that NDP Leader of the Opposition Marit Stiles will be pouring over with a fine tooth comb.
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra said: “We have to return all of the land obviously … and ensure that the additional lands (9,400 acres) that we promised to put back into the Greenbelt (are in the new law) and we’re restoring the easements that were brought with respect to the agricultural preserve,” he said on Thursday.
It is just a moment in time but the look on Premier Doug Ford’s face, captured by the camera, tells you all you need to know – he is not a happy camper. How much of this is on the Premier and is Calandra doing what has to be done to save the government before the opinion polls tank completely.
Calandra said the bill is being translated into French and should be ready when MPPs return from next week’s Thanksgiving recess.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles said she wants to pore over the Progressive Conservative legislation before deciding if New Democrats will support it.
Marit Stile’s going for the jugular as she hammers the Ford government.
“I’m going to wait and see what they present. I don’t know what’s taking so long. I gave them a bill,” said Stiles, referring to one she introduced Sept. 25 that the majority Tories rejected.
“I don’t trust this government for one second. They’ve been making so many deals all across this province,” she said.
“We see over and over again this government in their dirty deals and their preferential treatment. People in Ontario have lost trust in this government.”
