Ontario’s Housing Minister has issued an apology to Ontarians for not having the proper oversight over his staff and for the Greenbelt land swap process.
Steve Clark made the comments to reporters at Queen’s Park on Thursday, saying he was “overly relient” on his chief of staff.
However, Clark stopped short of resigning.
“I regret that I didn’t provide the sufficient oversight,” he said, adding that accepts “completely” the responsibility for the process.
“I’m sorry that we didn’t do a better job and I personally didn’t do a better job in terms of oversight,” Clark said.
Clark said Ontarians need a process to build more trust and accountability, adding that the government will work to implement a better process.
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The announcement comes a day after Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner, David Wake, published a report saying Clark broke ethics rules for his role in the Ford Government’s Greenbelt land swap.
The integrity commissioner’s report agreed with a previous, and equally damning, account from Ontario’s auditor general which suggested Ryan Amato, Clark’s recently resigned chief of staff, spearheaded the process. The responsibility for that, the integrity commissioner suggested, landed at the minister’s door.
“Members cannot hide from accountability under the Act where, through undue carelessness or inattention, they fail to oversee important policies or decisions in their offices,” the report said.
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Wake found Amato had been “operating largely alone and undirected,” despite the impression from other staff he was under direct instructions from either Premier Doug Ford’s office or from Clark.
“Mr. Amato advised Minister Clark to ‘leave it with me’ as he embarked on a chaotic and almost reckless process that I find led to an uninformed and opaque decision which resulted in the creation of an opportunity to further the private interests of some developers improperly,” the integrity commissioner wrote.
In his report, Wake said Amato selected 14 of the 15 sites that were removed from the Greenbelt.
Wake said during the inquiry, his staff received evidence from 61 witnesses and Minister Clark. His office also reviewed maps, documents, text messages, emails, briefing decks and other documents which amounted to thousands of pages. Wake said he was “satisfied” with the cooperation he received from people he interviewed.
In the report – more than 160 pages long – Wake ultimately determined Clark had breached sections 2 and 3(2) of the Member’s Integrity Act.
The report said section 2 of the Act states “making or participating in a decision that furthers another person’s interest improperly is prohibited.”
What’s more, the report said “communicating information that may be used to further another person’s interest improperly is prohibited under subsection 3(2) of the Act.”
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Clark said he “recommended to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario that Minister Clark be reprimanded for his failure to comply with the Act.”
Wake said his inquiry was “limited to determining whether Minister Clark’s role in the decision to remove certain properties from the Greenbelt contravened the Act.”
Earlier in August, Amato resigned from his post, saying the characterization of his actions in regards to the government’s handling of the Greenbelt was wrong.
“I am confident that I have acted appropriately, and that a fair and complete investigation would reach the same conclusion,” Amato wrote in his resignation letter.
He said the public statements made it “impossible” for him to continue in his role under Clark.
In a statement on Wednesday, Clark said “the buck stops with me,” and accepted the findings of the integrity commissioner.
“There were clear flaws in the process that led to today’s report,” Clark said.
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Speaking to reporters earlier on Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford backed Clark, saying he has confidence in the minister, adding that he has a “big file.”
“I take full responsibility,” Ford said. “The buck stops with me.”
Ford said his government understands the “process could be better.”
“But our goal at the end of the day is to build 1.5 million homes at minimum,” he continued. “We’re going to build them.”
Ford did not say what reprimand Clark is facing.
“That’s going to go to the legislature and we’ll see when we get back into the house in September,” he said.
The legislature is set to resume on Sept. 25.
Ford also issued a warning to developers: “Get the shovels in the ground, get started.”
“Here’s another warning to you. I won’t hesitate to put you back in the Greenbelt., I did it with the other land the other day,” Ford said pointing to a plot of land in Ajax.
“I almost fell off my chair when I heard it was up for sale for an industrial park,” he said.
During the press conference there was also a heated exchange between Ford and Global News’ Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Colin D’Mello. Shortly after, Ford called D’Mello to apologize.
On Wednesday, Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner and Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser each called for Clark to resign.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Fraser said the minister “should have resigned.”
The Ontario Liberals also called on the Ford Government to allow a legislative committee to interview those involved in the Greenbelt decisions.
“The Premier needs to open the books,” Fraser said. “The Premier needs to waive Cabinet privilege. What’s gone on here is wrong.”
Scheriner said Ford and Clark “failed the accountability test.”
Schreiner said his party is calling on the Ford government to reverse the process and return all Greenbelt land to fully protected status. The party is also calling for an independent public inquiry into the process.
In a statement Thursday, Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said Ontarians “have lost all trust in this Minister,” and said “he needs to go.”
“The Premier needs to step up, show some leadership, kick Clark out of cabinet,” Stiles said. “Then get us all back in the Legislature so we can restore all of these lands back to the Greenbelt.”
The RCMP is reviewing information to determine whether it should investigate the Greenbelt land swap. Ford previously said he is confident nothing criminal took place.
-with files from Global News’ Isaac Callan, Colin D’Mello and The Canadian Press
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