Ethics Violations found in Ontario Integrity Commissioner’s report on the Greenbelt
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, August 31, 2023 - Transparency International Canada (TI Canada) is calling on the Ontario government to act on the recommendations of the Ontario Integrity Commissioner (OIC), based on its finding that the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, violated the Member’s Integrity Act, 1994. TI Canada is a staunch proponent of the need to maintain integrity in government processes and to ensure that those holding public office are not involved in conflicts of interest.
The OIC recommended that Mr. Clark be sanctioned by Members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for failing to comply with sections 2 - conflicts of interest - and 3(2) – communicating insider information to further a Member of Provincial Parliament’s private interest. Although the OIC found that the Minister’s Chief of Staff was the driving force behind a flawed process which provided an advantage to developers, the Minister failed in his duty to oversee staff decision making.
The redesignation or removal of 15 properties from the Greenbelt happened without any public consultation or proper oversight. The OIC’s report states that the “evidence paints a picture of a process marked by misinterpretation, unnecessary hastiness and deception. It shows that 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.”
TI Canada relies on the global definition of corruption that we use in our work, namely: “the abuse of public power for private gain”. Decisions on property development such as this, which favour a select group of developers due to a rushed and non-consultative decision-making process, demonstrate the need for transparency in public decision-making. When decisions of this magnitude are made in an opaque fashion, it undermines trust in the democratic process and the integrity of public authorities.
We urge the Members of the Legislative Assembly to take this report seriously and to impose appropriate sanctions on Mr. Clark, in line with the recommendations of the OIC.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
Noah Arshinoff
Interim Executive Director
Transparency International Canada
+1 416 488 3939
noah.arshinoff@transparencycanada.ca