Premier Doug Ford made changes to his cabinet as well as announced a review of all the Greenbelt land swaps after housing minister Steve Clark resigned this Labour Day long weekend.
Paul Calandra the new Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister will review all Greenbelt applications. A non-partisan facilitator will review the 15 sites originally selected by the province to be removed from the protected Greenbelt for housing development, Ford said Tuesday.
Clark had initially refused to step down after a damning report from the integrity commissioner, which investigated his conduct, recommended he be reprimanded for failing to properly oversee the process in which protected Greenbelt lands were selected for housing development.
A few weeks earlier, Ontario’s auditor general which investigated the land swap process found it was greatly influenced by a small group of developers who stand to make billions of dollars.
“Although my initial thought was that I could stay in this role and establish a proper process so that these mistakes don’t happen again, I realize that my presence will only cause a further distraction from the important work that needs to be done and that I need to take accountability for what has transpired,” Clark wrote in a social media post on X.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Ford said the whole system (would be reviewed while insisting that the Greenbelt had been expanded under his watch.
“I don’t give two hoots about the builders,” Ford stated.
Meanwhile the cabinet shuffle has Prabmeet Sarkaria and Caroline Muroney swapping portfolios. Sarkaria becomes Minister of Transportation, while Mulroney is President of the Treasury Board and remains Minister of Francophone Affairs. Stan Cho takes on Calandra’s previous position of 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.
Andrea Khanjin will have an expanded role and will assume additional responsibilities as Deputy Government House Leader reporting to Paul Calandra, who will remain Government House Leader.
All other ministers maintain their existing portfolios.
