March 16th, 2023

Stiles: Integrity Commissioner report shows need for answers in Ford’s conduct

QUEEN’S PARK – The Leader of the Official Opposition, Marit Stiles, released the following statement after the Integrity Commissioner released an interim report on Doug Ford’s conduct concerning two Ford family events and policy decisions benefitting insiders:

“I thank the Integrity Commissioner for his work on this. His interim report clearly outlines a difference between the opinion he provided the Premier and the grounds on which a full investigation would be warranted.

It also acknowledges the limitations of the Member’s Integrity Act, yet indicates that the evidence I presented may nevertheless meet the high bar of reasonable and probable grounds for a full investigation into the Premier’s conduct pending the conclusion of his investigation into my complaint regarding the dismantling of the Greenbelt.

I am pleased to see that the Integrity Commissioner has gathered additional material and is preparing summonses for a number of witnesses to interview related to my complaint. We look forward to his report.

In the meantime, more details of the Ford Conservatives’ meddling in the Greenbelt continue to be uncovered, with a story just this morning about their actions to muzzle the Greenbelt Council and change its mandate to suit Ford’s agenda.

Ontarians deserve answers about Ford’s troubling pattern of behaviour, where government policy decisions continue to benefit a select number of insiders with close ties to the Premier.

As the Official Opposition, your NDP team and I will continue to hold them accountable each and every day, with every tool available to us, because Ontarians deserve a government with integrity that they can trust.”