The RCMP have been interviewing witnesses as part of its probe into the Ford government’s decision to open up protected Greenbelt lands for development.
In a brief statement to CityNews on Friday, the premier’s office said current and former staff were being interviewed by the police agency but provided no other specifics as to who may have spoken with authorities.
“We’ve always said we would cooperate. That cooperation would include the premier and current or former staff conducting interviews as witnesses, which are currently underway,” read the statement.
CityNews has learned Premier Doug Ford has not been interviewed.
The news comes exactly one year after then auditor general Bonnie Lysyk issued a scathing report which found Ontario’s decision to open protected Greenbelt lands up to housing development found the process favoured developers with ties to the housing minister’s chief of staff. She also found the selection of lands removed was “biased,” “seriously flawed,” and was “dismissive of effective land-use planning.”
While acknowledging the process should have been better and promising to implement all but one of the report’s recommendations, Ford committed to moving ahead with the Greenbelt development. But several weeks later, Ford reversed his government’s decision, calling it “a mistake.”
Last August, the Ontario Provincial Police referred the matter to the RCMP in order to avoid what it called “any potential perceived conflict of interest.”
On October 10, the RCMP confirmed it had formally launched a criminal investigation into the government’s controversial Greenbelt land swap.
As the investigation into the scandal continues to linger over the Ford government, the premier said earlier this week that he would continue to push forward with his plans to build homes everywhere “other than the Greenbelt.”