Shaw: Ford’s Greenbelt story just keeps changing

HAMILTON – Ford’s Conservatives just can’t get their story straight when it comes to their Greenbelt corruption scandal.

Newly obtained emails show that in 2021, Ford’s then-chief of staff said he would “check with officials" about removing lands from the Greenbelt.

The Premier and his government have said repeatedly that Ford was first briefed on the Greenbelt plan in November 2022, but these latest emails make it even more clear that Ford’s inner circle were discussing these plans years in advance – and kept them quiet when Ford ran for re-election. Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP have repeatedly asked Ford about these discrepancies in testimony and timelines – and Ford’s Conservatives have continued to duck accountability.

“When exactly did Ford know about the Greenbelt plan – and why can’t he just come clean with it?” asked MPP Sandy Shaw (Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas), Official Opposition NDP critic for Environment, Conservation, and Parks. “With the Greenbelt scandal, it seems like all roads keep leading back to the Premier’s office. And while he keeps trying to cover his tracks, we keep falling further behind on our housing targets when we desperately need affordable places to live.”

“Hopefully Ford can get his story straight when the RCMP come to call.”

Background

• These new emails reveal even more correspondence between Ford’s senior staff and Sergio Manchia's staff, a prominent Hamilton developer
• Ford has claimed he isn’t ‘immediately familiar’ with Manchia, despite the Integrity Commissioner’s report revealing six meetings between the pair