Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he is willing to hand over his personal cellphone records to the RCMP if they ask as part of an investigation into the Greenbelt scandal.
The federal police force has launched a probe into the province’s decision to swap 7,400 acres of protected land out of the Greenbelt, a policy two parliamentary watchdogs found benefited a few developers to the tune of $8.3 billion.
The decision was reversed in September and the RCMP announced its investigation in October.
Ford has said he will cooperate with the investigation.
“You know something? Whatever the RCMP requires, we’re working with them,” Ford said when asked if he would allow police access to his personal cellphone records.
“Simple as that.”
Global News is engaged in a transparency battle with the province over government-related calls the premier has made from his personal phone.
After initially rejecting a freedom of information request for Ford’s personal call log, government lawyers later admitted that the premier uses his personal device for work-related calls.
Government lawyers argued, however, that while Ford uses his personal phone in his role as party leader, premier, head of cabinet and local MPP it would be impossible to separate his work-related communications from conversations with family members or constituents who are entitled to privacy.
On Friday, Ford also said he would waive strict cabinet confidentiality rules if police asked.
“They have full access, I support them 1,000 per cent,” Ford said in response to a question over whether he would waive cabinet confidence.
Documents prepared for cabinet or discussed during cabinet meetings are closely guarded in Ontario.
We’re working through our office and we support the RCMP on anything that they’re doing — they’re good people,” Ford said Friday. “And we’ll always support all our police services, including the RCMP.”
The RCMP has contacted some staff members with the province but the premier said detectives had not reached out to him or his office.
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