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Guelph MPP files Greenbelt complaint to integrity commissioner

Concerns over timing and sale of certain protected lands that will now be open for development
20191218 Mike Schreiner KA
Mike Schreiner, Guelph MPP and Green Party of Ontario leader, seen in his constituency office in Guelph.

MPP Mike Schreiner filed a complaint to the integrity commissioner on Monday regarding decisions concerning the Greenbelt.

Schreiner asked for an opinion as to whether Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Ontario’s housing minister Steve Clark had breached sections 2 and 3 of the Members Integrity Act, or any other convention in parliament. The premier and minister Clark made a decision to open up certain Greenbelt lands for development.

“The people of Ontario are rightfully suspicious of the timing of the sale of certain protected Greenbelt lands that will now be open for development, and the ties these land speculators have to the PC party. On their behalf, I have asked the integrity commissioner for an opinion on whether the Members Integrity Act or any parliamentary convention has been breached,” said Schreiner in a press release.

“And the fact that today in question period the minister of municipal affairs and housing did not explicitly deny providing leaked information to Greenbelt land speculators about their plans, reaffirms the need for this investigation,” he said.

Schreiner asked the integrity commissioner to investigate if any lobbying took place by land owners who will be able to develop on the Greenbelt. 

“I appreciate these are serious allegations, and I didn’t file this complaint proudly or without due consideration, but at the request of Ontarians who deserve transparency and to have the utmost trust and respect for their elected officials. Unfortunately right now people feel that their government has let them down and threatened the land they love for the benefit of private interests,” said Schreiner in the release.