NationTalk: Toronto, ON – Ontario Regional Chief Glen Hare released the following statement regarding the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario’s Report regarding Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark:
“Yesterday, Minister Steve Clark held a press conference and gave remarks following the release of the Integrity Commissioner’s Report pertaining to Minister Clark’s conduct during the decisions to remove lands from the Greenbelt for housing developments,” said Regional Chief Hare. “While it is notable that Minister Clark has issued an apology for the role in which he played, the Chiefs of Ontario remain concerned with the lack of direct consequences for the Minister’s actions.”
Integrity Commissioner of Ontario, J. David Wake, released the report on August 30, 2023. The report found that Minister Clark violated the Members Integrity Act, and failed to oversee the processes in which the lands selected for removal from the Greenbelt took place. The inquiry also established that Ryan Amato, the Minister’s former Chief of Staff, was the driving force behind the manner in which the lands were chosen for removal, and received information regarding these specific land parcels directly from developers.
Within remarks made to the media, Minister Clark stated that he accepted responsibility for not having greater oversight over the issue and that he over-relied on his former Chief of Staff. Minister Clark remained adamant that Ontario is moving forward with its plan to build 1.5 million new homes and also continued to relay the messaging that the land removals were done to accomplish this goal – a statement that was recently challenged within the Auditor General’s Special Report on Changes to the Greenbelt, released earlier this month.
“The Chiefs of Ontario wholeheartedly support the findings of the Integrity Commissioner’s Report and encourage the provincial government to undertake a full review of the processes in place which led to the changes to the Greenbelt. The Government of Ontario ought to be held accountable for its promises to keep the Greenbelt intact, and its promises to commit to a better and transparent process with regards to consultation on issues of this magnitude.
During his remarks, Minister Clark referred to his conversations and meetings with the Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services. We continue to tirelessly remind the government that conversations of these sorts do not constitute engagement with First Nations, and that any engagement must be undertaken directly with First Nations, and not in a pan-Indigenous matter.”
The Chiefs of Ontario reiterate that engagement must be undertaken in a consent-based process, must reflect nation-to-nation relationships with the Crown, and must be respectful of First Nations’ inherent rights to land and self-governance. In the spirit of reconciliation, Ontario must take a community-based approach to engagement with First Nations, rather than attempting to fast-track through changes.
The Chiefs of Ontario remain committed to working with Premier Ford to ensure that his government is held to the appropriate standards and to work together with the province to move forward in remedying this issue in a way that is respective to First Nations’ inherent and Treaty rights.
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The Chiefs of Ontario supports all First Nations in Ontario as they assert their sovereignty, jurisdiction and their chosen expression of nationhood. Follow Chiefs of Ontario on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @ChiefsOfOntario.
Media Contact:
Chris Hoyos
Director of Policy and Communications
Policy and Communications Sector
Chiefs of Ontario
Cell: (416) 579-4998
Email: Chris.Hoyos@coo.org