Doug Ford denies claims that his government tipped off developers on Greenbelt changes

TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he and his government did not tip off developers ahead of announcing changes to the Greenbelt.

The denial comes a day after Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark offered a similar response.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner asked the integrity commissioner earlier this week to investigate whether Clark or Ford broke ethics rules around making a public policy decision to further someone’s private interests.

Clark announced earlier this month that he is proposing to remove land from 15 different areas of the Greenbelt, while adding acres elsewhere so that 50,000 homes can be built — despite previous promises from Ford and Clark that they wouldn’t touch the Greenbelt.

Media reports have suggested that some prominent developers who are Progressive Conservative donors stand to benefit from the move.

Some bought that land in the past few years despite Ford and Clark’s public pronouncements it wouldn’t be developed, with one purchase happening as recently as September, according to investigations by the CBC, The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and the Narwhal.