Tuesday, September 5, 2023

by Temple Scott Associates

After days of unrest and denials, the Premier has accepted the resignation of Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister, Steve Clark. 

Clark has been caught up in discussions of “insider trading” between his former Chief of Staff, Ryan Amato and Developers over land removed from the greenbelt for future housing developments. Amato apparently acted alone to determine the lands that were removed, not revealing the discussions or determinations until Cabinet where it was apparently blindly supported. Amato resigned last week. 

What this means: 

The Premier has attempted to stop the bleeding on a story that was going to continue to follow the Ford government until it was addressed. In two press conferences on Friday, reporters were after both the Premier and Clark as to why Clark hadn’t resigned. There was no good answer and reporters were clearly not satisfied. Finally, on Labour Day Monday, Clark resigned stating that the Minister of Housing needed to be able to proceed without distractions. Observers can only speculate on whether the resignation delay was with the Premier’s Office or the Minister. 

Following Clark’s resignation, the Premier has handed the job to Paul Calandra, one of Ford’s most trusted Ministers. Calandra already controls the flow of legislation as House Leader and now turns in his Long-term Care hat for that of Housing. Interesting to note that when Minister Fullerton “had had enough” and resigned suddenly in March, the Premier also turned to Calandra to take over what was a “hot” portfolio at the time. 

Changes to the Executive Council include the following: 

• Paul Calandra becomes Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; 
• Prabmeet Sarkaria becomes Minister of Transportation; 
• Caroline Mulroney becomes President of the Treasury Board; 
• Stan Cho becomes Minister of Long-Term Care; 
• Rob Flack becomes Associate Minister of Housing with a specific mandate on attainable housing and modular homes reporting to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; 
• Todd McCarthy becomes Associate Minister of Transportation reporting to the Minister of Transportation; and 
• Nina Tangri becomes Associate Minister of Small Business reporting to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. 

What the Opposition is saying: 

Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition: 

“Steve Clark is finally taking some responsibility for his role in the government’s Greenbelt scandal. But the Auditor General’s report, the Integrity Commissioner’s report, and now a potential criminal investigation clearly show that this corruption reaches far beyond Clark’s office.  

Now it’s time for Doug Ford to face the music. Recall the legislature so we can restore these lands to the Greenbelt; and give Ontarians the transparency and accountability they deserve from a Premier.”  

John Fraser, Leader of the Liberal Party: 

“Minister Clark’s resignation today is the first step in what needs to happen to get to the bottom of this $8.3 Billion cash-for-your-land scheme. 

“What needs to happen next, is the Premier needs to open the books on the Greenbelt land swaps and waive Cabinet Privilege as it relates to this decision. The Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy needs to meet next week to begin the process of reviewing relevant documents and interviewing those involved.”  

Summary: 

Despite the resignation and Cabinet changes, it appears this story will continue to follow the Premier. In his press conference today, the Premier announced a full review of the greenbelt lands, both the group of 14 properties already designated for development and future applications. Once the agreements are reviewed and finalized, they will be released. 

Source: Temple Scott Associates