By Pepper Parr
October 6th, 2023
BURLINGTON, ON
Marit Stiles, NDP Leader of the Opposition did what she has been doing on the Doug Ford Greenbelt land swaps file– asking tough questions.
In a media event this afternoon she said she expects the “members of his government to fully comply with the RCMP about what exactly happened here.
Marit Stiles, NDP Leader of the Opposition
“That includes ensuring that government emails, political staff, emails, phone records, including personal phone records of the premier because we know that he uses his personal devices for government business must be preserved.
“I want the government to give us the same assurance and the premier himself. The Auditor General has confirmed that they are looking into the Ford conservatives overuse of MZO’s .”
Stiles wants the government to suspend those deals and and suspend the Ontario Place deal as well because there are many similar questions around the nature of that deal.
“I really hope we get the answers we need. Ontarians deserve so much better than this. And certainly, they deserve a government that can restore trust and integrity to the province of Ontario. The first question comes from Richard Souther, City News who asked:
“If the investigators find any wrongdoing as regards the Premier’s office, any connection to the Premier’s office, what do you think should happen?”
Stiles: “ I don’t want to determine the outcome of the investigation but it’s very serious. We know that and certainly the integrity commissioners reports on his investigation of the Auditor General’s reports seem to indicate they really are a direct indictment of the premier and his role in his office.
“In the meantime, I don’t want the premier to use this as a way to hide from us to our questions on behalf of the people of Ontario in the legislature. I want him to actually answer our questions and the questions of Ontarians. I could see very well using this as an excuse not to respond to the questions that we have and I don’t think that is an excuse. I expect him to be completely transparent with the people of this province,
Souther: “The premier has previously said that nothing criminal went on here that he had no direct knowledge of what went on. Do you take him at his word for that.
Stiles: “You know, I wish, I could I wish I could but simply defies belief. The Premier mandated these changes be made. He directs everything from the top. I think it defies belief that the Premier and his staff did not have direct knowledge of all of this, but we will see, I don’t want to predetermine the outcome whether or not anything criminal took place. “I’ve used words like corruption and collusion and I do believe this goes right to the top.”
A second question from Alan Hale at Queen’s Park Today.
“Let’s assume for the moment that there is some sort of prosecution comes up eventually. Do you think that the that the attorney general should be recusing himself or appointing a special prosecutor or anything like that to keep him at arm’s length away from any institution that might come?
Stiles: “I think that the Attorney General will have to address that question. I think the Attorney General would have to decide whether or not it’s appropriate to recuse himself.
“I find it shameful that other government ministers have not stepped forward to solve this problem. i We have a government in complete disarray. They know what needs to take place it’s not enough to simply put your head in the sand or, or pretend it’s not happening and you know, that game. It’s not acceptable.
Unfortunately, there were no other media taking part in the event.
Later in the day Stiles added to the Premier’s grief announcing that , the office of the Auditor General has confirmed they are investigating the Ford Conservatives’ process for selecting and approving Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZOs).
“I am pleased to see the Auditor General launch an audit into the way Ford’s government selects and approves MZOs in this province, and I welcome the eventual report that will help shine light on this process.
“With Ford’s Greenbelt grab, we’ve seen a troubling pattern of corruption and preferential treatment for well-connected land speculators. People have questions about whether that pattern extends to other decisions – such as urban boundaries and this government’s frequent use of MZOs.
The Ontario NDP are committed to answering these questions and bringing ethics and transparency back to Queen’s Park.”
